In an awe-inspiring tale of courage and medical marvel, a 6-year-old girl recently underwent a pioneering surgery in Los Angeles, wherein half of her brain was disconnected.
Brianna Bodley was diagnosed with Rasmussen’s encephalitis in August 2022, a rare condition that affects only one hemisphere of the brain, as described by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), via PEOPLE.
The symptoms of this uncommon disease are progressively debilitating, including severe seizures, brain inflammation, mental deterioration, and loss of vital neurological functions like motor skills, speech, and mobility on one side of the body.
A GoFundMe page set up by her mother, Crystal Bodley, details Brianna's journey and the trials the young girl has faced throughout her short life.
Hospitalized twice in a month due to multiple nocturnal seizures, conventional medications proved futile in Brianna’s case. The relentless seizures were not only causing substantial damage to her brain but also led to agonizing physical pain, manifesting as incessant leg jerks – a phenomenon Crystal described as a pain that persisted "even when she’s sleeping".
In conversation with ABC7, Crystal further detailed the tangible impacts of the disease on her daughter, stating, "her leg would bend up all the time and she would have trouble walking".
When faced with such grim circumstances, a radical solution was proposed: a functional hemispherectomy.
This surgery, aimed at disconnecting the brain hemispheres, emerged as "he only cure for the seizures caused by RE", according to the GoFundMe description.
Dr. Richard Aaron Robison, an expert from Loma Linda University Health, performed this intricate 10-hour operation.
In a reassuring statement to ABC7, Dr. Robison declared: "Just disconnecting [the brain] is enough to stop the disease completely and essentially, potentially cure it." He further added that "Brianna will still be the same person, even after disconnecting half her brain."
The most recent update from October 3 on the GoFundMe page highlights the current challenges Brianna faces post-surgery. The medical team's primary focus remains on managing her pain.
But that's not all; Brianna is also embarking on an intensive rehab journey encompassing walking, arm movement, speech therapy, and more. As her mother revealed, while Brianna might relearn walking and moving her arm, she'll sadly not regain her left hand's fine motor skills or her left eye's peripheral view.
However, in the face of all adversities, Crystal remains hopeful, concluding with a heartfelt message: "She has a very long road of recovery, but she is a strong and determined little girl. I know she will do great things and overcome all of this."
We wish Brianna the very best on her continued recovery journey.
