A doctor who claimed Emily Willis ‘may never walk again’ has echoed other experts, claiming that the adult film star may be battling with locked-in syndrome’ (LiS).
Former adult star Willis, 25, was placed in a coma in critical condition after suffering from a cardiac arrest in February.
TMZ reported that Willis’ stepfather had confirmed his daughter had been seeking treatment in rehab before her cardiac arrest.
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Since then, Willis' family has set up a GoFundMe account for her, which has since received $94,028 as of writing.
In the latest update, it has since been revealed that Willis was ‘fighting’ and ‘showing some signs of responsiveness like eye tracking’, causing multiple medical practitioners to weigh in with their thoughts.
Earlier this year, Doctor Gareth Nye told the Daily Star that it looked as if the content creator was battling ‘locked-in syndrome’ (LiS).
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LIS is categorized as a rare neurological disorder, causing an individual’s muscles to become paralyzed despite exhibiting consciousness and displaying normal cognitive abilities, and, according to the Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center, it’s thought that fewer than 1,000 US residents have LiS and that sufferers can still lead meaningful lives.
“It's sort of called a pseudocoma,” Dr Hofeldt, a board-certified health expert, told The Mirror US. “Likely what happened is she had her cardiac arrest, and she had decreased perfusion [blood flow] to her brain, and it hit that part of her brain stem that's involved in the nerves that go from the brain to the spinal through the spinal cord into the muscle.
“And so she is in a state of likely total paralysis.”
Dr Hofeldt has also acknowledged that while there is a chance Willis could recover, the likelihood is 'poor', adding: “It would be very unusual for her to be able to walk again independently.”
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She also said that if Willis does have LiS, then she may not ‘walk again independently’ as pons - a group of nerves that connect the brain to the spine - see the nerve tracks being damaged, which then prevents leg muscles from working.
There has been no recent update on Willis’ condition, and according to Dr Nye, the longer a patient remains in an immobile or vegetative state, the harder it can be for them to come back to their previous health.
“[What is] of concern is the breakdown and loss of muscle mass,” he explained.
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“There are studies suggesting that people admitted to ICU or are in a coma-like state lose around 2 percent of their muscle mass per day.
"This has a huge impact on future mobility but crucially impacts the muscles which help with our breathing.
“If they breakdown sufficiently, it can be near impossible for patients to ever come off ventilation systems and breathe independently."
The medical practitioner has also previously stated to the Daily Star that Willis’ recovery depends on her ‘specific damage’.
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“There are some very exceptional cases which have seen patients go on to make a recovery,” he added.
You can donate to Willis’ official GoFundMe page here.
Ella Scott