24-Year-Old Woman Experiences Sudden Spinal Cord Stroke Leading to Paralysis

U.S. experienced a sudden onset of paralysis prior to Valentine's Day 2026. She told Newsweek that the incident began during a movie night with her cousin when she felt a tingling sensation in her shoulders that spread down her body.

Her cousin called an ambulance as the symptoms did not improve. Paramedics told Martina she was not in danger and suggested the symptoms indicated a panic attack. Martina stated that the tingling started in her shoulders and arms and progressed to complete paralysis from the neck down within four hours.

She walked to the ambulance and initially to the hospital stretcher but lost mobility shortly after. At the hospital, Martina underwent a CT scan, lumbar puncture, and MRI, all of which showed no abnormalities. After 48 hours, the tests were repeated along with a magnetic resonance angiography (MRA).

The MRA indicated ischemia, or reduced blood flow and oxygen supply, in her cervical spine at levels C1 and C5.

The lumbar puncture revealed an increase in lymphocytes, white blood cells that fight infection.

Six days after admission, doctors diagnosed Martina with a spinal cord stroke at C1 and C5. As symptoms progressed, she reported increased weakness, difficulty breathing, loss of bowel and bladder control, and drowsiness. The Cleveland Clinic states that a spinal cord stroke occurs when blood flow to the spinal cord is interrupted by a clot or bleeding, leading to symptoms such as sudden back pain, tingling, numbness, radiating pain, loss of sensation, and paralysis.

These strokes account for less than 1 percent of all strokes and can result in permanent paralysis, chronic pain, breathing difficulties, incontinence, or death in some cases. Everyone is at risk, though the condition is rare. Martina told Newsweek that doctors provided no specific recovery expectations due to limited research on spinal cord injuries and variability in outcomes, particularly for young patients.