According to a report by The Sun (UK) on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, a 17-year-old girl from Banbury, Oxfordshire, is fighting for her life after what she thought were severe period pains turned out to be a rare and serious medical condition.
Shakira Gorman suddenly began experiencing heavy bleeding just two days before Christmas and assumed it was linked to her menstrual cycle. Within minutes, however, the previously healthy teenager struggled to breathe and lost sensation in her arms and hands, prompting an emergency hospital visit.
She was rushed to John Radcliffe Hospital, where doctors placed her on a ventilator in intensive care. Shakira remained there for two weeks while medical tests were carried out. Doctors later confirmed that she had suffered a rare spinal stroke — a condition usually seen in people over the age of 50. Her family said hospital staff were shocked by her age, describing the case as extremely uncommon.
As a result of the stroke, Shakira is currently paralysed and unable to speak. She communicates with her family by lip-reading and using a word board. Although she is awake and mentally alert, she has very limited movement and can only slightly move her fingers.
Relatives explained that Shakira had a blood clot in her spine and has been placed on blood-thinning medication. At the beginning, doctors struggled to identify the cause because her early symptoms were mild shoulder and back pain, which she believed were related to her period.
A spinal stroke happens when the blood supply to the spinal cord is interrupted, leading to nerve damage. Depending on the area affected, the condition can cause muscle weakness, paralysis, and loss of bodily functions.
Shakira is now waiting to be transferred to Stoke Mandeville Hospital, where spinal specialists can further assess her condition and begin advanced treatment. Her family hopes the transfer will bring clarity and improve her chances of recovery, although doctors have said a full recovery cannot be guaranteed.
Her parents are spending as much time as possible at her bedside, while other family members have started a fundraising campaign to help cover medical costs, travel expenses, and loss of income. The family says they are taking each day as it comes and has urged others not to ignore sudden or unusual symptoms, no matter how minor they may seem.
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