Cramlington woman Melanie Hartshorn readmitted to Barcelona hospital due to recovery setback

Melanie Hartshorn, from Sea View Villas in Cramlington, had initially been discharged from a Barcelona hospital after a life-saving procedure to stabilise her joints.

The 33-year-old has an extreme form of genetic condition Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which makes connective tissue weaker, and suffers severe health problems due to frequent dislocations of her skull, neck, and spine.

But after experiencing allergic reactions to her tube feeds while recovering at an apartment in Spain, Melanie was readmitted to hospital last week and is on a drip which feeds nutrition directly to her heart known as total parenteral nutrition (TPN).

In a post on her Facebook page she said: “I am still in hospital on TPN, with a feeding tube for my medications, feeling a bit deflated, very tired, and sore off my neck dislocating constantly where the broken screws are.

“That is pretty miserable as it triggers heart issues and paralysis constantly, and means I have to just lay still in bed flat and braced 24/7.”

Melanie’s surgery was not available on the NHS, and so she has had to fundraise to cover the costs of her medical bills.

As she was too weak to endure both procedures at once she must undergo another operation, hoped to be her final one.

This has led to further fundraising efforts, with £105,346 raised to date on Melanie’s GoFundMe towards a target of £150,000.

Melanie said: “We cannot return home as I am unable to sit up, or even move if I’m honest, without dislocating.

“So I have to spend all my time lying flat in bed with a big neck/thoracic spinal brace on 24/7, until the fusions are stabilised during the next surgery.

“The date has not been set yet as I need to be fully recovered and strong enough for the surgery. They need to break my sternum to access the right area.

“The plan is to arrange it for after Christmas in January. Obviously, the sooner the better as all the instability and dislocations cause nerve damage and put huge pressure on the fusion surgery I have just had.”

You can donate to the Melanie’s Mission To Live campaign here and here.