spinal

Further issues included a spinal tumor removal in 2005 and related leg problems, resulting in Saafir using a wheelchair for most of the last decade.

The most common problems include chronic headaches, difficulty swallowing and decreased muscle strength, as well as syringomyelia, a condition that occurs when a cyst forms in the spinal cord.

The genetic condition can cause serious medical complications such as spinal cord compression, sleep apnoea, bowed legs, narrowing of the spinal canal and recurrent ear infections.

Ms Hogan, then 19, suffered a punctured lung, spinal fracture and a bleed on the brain, leaving her unable to walk or talk.

An Orange County firefighter who suffered spinal cord injuries in a September freeway rollover was released from a Colorado rehabilitation facility Friday.