Caitlin Jensen: Woman left paralyzed after chiropractor severed her arteries, can now move both sides of her body
ATLANTA, GEORGIA: A Georgia Southern University graduate who was tragically left paralyzed is now able to move both sides of her body as part of a miraculous recovery. Caitlin Jensen, 28, was left paralyzed from a routine neck adjustment at a chiropractor. On June 16, Jensen had to be hospitalized after an appointment with Dr TJ Harpham, 42, left her with four ruptured arteries. This eventually led to a stroke and three heart attacks.
Jensen's family said she has made great improvement after being moved to Atlanta's Shepherd Center this week to start her physical therapy, the Daily Mail reported. Her mother, Darlene Jensen, confirmed that her daughter can now move both sides of her body.
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In a Facebook post, Darlene wrote of Jensen, "If she had just not gone to that appointment. Her life was on a completely different trajectory. She zigged when she should have zagged, and here we are. We will build a new, different life for Caitlin though. It might not be the same as she had envisioned, but I have no doubt that she has a beautiful, purposeful future ahead of her."
"Twelve weeks later…sure, life is extremely hard right now. She was asked yesterday how difficult her daily life is on a scale of 1 to 10, and she said 10. It’s true. Sometimes I have moments where it doesn’t feel quite so hard, and then I realize that the “hard” is just becoming normal. I guess that is perhaps a good thing. I can’t just go around shocked at it all forever, right?" she added. "Today on her 12th week day, she got out of bed and got to work. She still has pneumonia (it’s getting better!) and she is on oxygen right now because it keeps dropping, so she is very tired. And yet - she did a full day of therapy. Active, HARD therapy."
She further wrote, "Tomorrow she’ll get up and do it all again. I’m proud of her commitment to herself. To her recovery. I’m proud that even though she has been dealt some hard blows, she wakes up every day with a beautiful smile on her face, and love in her heart. I’m proud of her kindness. Her concern for others. I’m proud to call her my daughter."
Previously, Darlene had recalled the horrifying call she received from Harpham. "I just thought maybe she was dizzy," she had said. "It didn't ever occur to me that it was a serious event. I just thought maybe she stood up too fast or she was slightly dizzy and they were being over cautious."
However, Jensen's slow but steady recovery has given her mother hope. The young woman was recently able to complete sitting practices without assistance, and also take her first steps with a walking harness. She also took pottery classes where she was able to paint a vase.