In July, a Georgia woman was paralyzed after a trip to the chiropractor. But that woman, 28-year-old Caitlin Jensen, has begun her journey to recovery.
Caitlin, a recent graduate of Georgia Southern University, was rushed to the emergency room after a neck adjustment on June 16. She had suffered four dissected arteries in her neck. That led to cardiac arrest, a stroke, and a traumatic brain injury.
The young woman still has a long road ahead of her. After losing her pulse for 10 full minutes before doctors were able to revive her, a stent was placed in one of her arteries. Months later, she's now been moved to a rehab facility.
For anyone who frequents the chiropractor, the incident is pretty alarming. But it seems that Caitlin Jensen is handling her health condition with a lot of grace. She's been moved to the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, where she's undergoing speech, occupational, physical, and recreational therapy.
“I try not to look too far ahead, because that can be very overwhelming,” her mother, Darlene Jensen, told WJCL. “Every morning, we get up, we pick an outfit, we get dressed for the day, we get to work, we do the therapy. And it goes by quite quickly. The days kinda fly by.”
Still, her daughter's condition is serious. It will be a long, painful journey for her to regain mobility. And she's only just starting out.
According to a GoFundMe page that was set up for Caitlin, she is only able to communicate by blinking or giving a thumbs up. The rest of her body remains almost completely paralyzed.
The fundraiser has raised over $100,000 to date.
After the incident, Darlene told WSB-TV that she believed the health emergency was absolutely due to the visit to the chiropractor. “The surgeon … that saved her life, and every other doctor that has looked at her, have all agreed that this happened as a direct result of the neck manipulation,” she said. “The chiropractor called 911 and then called me and told me that she was 'having a reaction to the treatment.'”
Caitlin's family has since retained legal counsel.
Caitlin's mother praised her daughter for how she's been coping with her condition. "I credit her a great deal for her attitude," she said. "I think that her positive spirit and attitude has really helped a lot."
