Help Tiana Recover After Sudden Paralysis from Emergency Thoracic Spinal Cord Surgery

Hi, my name is Tiana, and I’m reaching out with a heavy heart to ask for your help.

On Friday 10/3/2025 my life drastically changed in an instant. I had an emergency severely invasive spinal surgery that left me paralyzed from the sternum down, but it saved my life.

What started off as sciatica pain 3 months ago in my right leg, then my left, then up my abdomen and back with incontinence and being turned away at every turn quickly turned into a dire emergency. I had symptoms of sciatica and doctors told me theirs no cure you’ll just have to live with it. I finally got the help I needed, don’t even ask it was a nightmare. At first even the Neurosurgeon on-call thought it might be Cauda Equina Syndrome because of the classic symptoms, of which I had. After a Lumbar Spinal MRI they quickly ruled that out. Since all my symptoms were showing higher on my abdomen and back the Neurosurgeon on-call requested a Thoracic Spinal MRI that confirmed it was definitely not Cauda Equina Syndrome; which is a herniated/slipped disc that’s narrowing at the end of the spinal canal,; but Thoracic Myelopathy; which is compression of the spinal cord of which mimics the signs and symptoms of Cauda Equina Syndrome, so you could see how that could be presumed as the cause. But the worst of it all they found an extremely Rare Condition called (OPLL); which causes abnormal calcification boney growths throughout the body in random places. In my case the calcified boney growths were growing along my entire thoracic region of my spinal cord. The Surgery - neurosurgeons removed all the calcification from my spinal cord sack and because the calcification was so attached to the spinal cord sack it caused some spinal fluid leakage when they removed it. The Procedure - neurosurgeons removed all my T3-T12 thoracic vertebrae and replaced with 1 rod and 10 screws on each side holding it in place. 2 rods and 20 screws total. Leaving me paralyzed from the sternum down from the Thoracic Spinal Cord Surgery.

Everything — from standing, walking, to caring for myself — to just everyday life has now been taken from me overnight. The doctors say recovery will be a very long, extremely extensive and painful road of rehab and Physical Therapy as well as learning the new norm for me, but optimistic. I’m doing everything I can to stay strong and hopeful.

After research it is my understanding that the cost for my care is going to be astronomical and I’m going to need a lot of disability equipment to assist with my new paralysis.

My habits and everything about my life has changed in an instant.

If you can’t donate, please share my story spreading the word means the world to me.

Thank you for reading, for caring, and for helping me find hope again through this unimaginable time.

With a an extremely grateful heart,

Tiana