"According to medical experts, neck fractures, including those to the C1 vertebra, can sometimes go unnoticed due to the lack of immediate symptoms" (Spine-Health, 2025).
Help Fund My Legal Battle and Pursuit of Justice
I suffered a life-changing injury when I broke my C1 vertebra—a crucial bone in my neck. The C1 is also called, "The atlas," because it helps to hold up the skull. Many people don’t realize that neck injuries, especially fractures, can sometimes go unnoticed, and this was the case for me.
Despite the severity of the injury, it went unnoticed before I received the referral to a specialist, and that only came after an emergency room physician referred me. The delay in proper care, combined with the misinformation I received from my initial healthcare provider, has had significant and lasting impacts on my life.
Before this injury, I was a healthy and active 62-year-old woman, had been a certified personal trainer, and someone who lived a full life despite having been diagnosed with systemic lupus. I was passionate about fitness and led a relatively active lifestyle, including regularly going to the gym to participate in classes. Yet, I never knew I had broken my neck. I just knew something was wrong, because I could not exercise like I used to, but I thought that lupus was causing an increase in symptoms.
The neurosurgeon informed me that I definitely have a C1 fracture that is stable right now, as well as DISH arthritis of the cervival spine. This misstep in my care has left me sitting in the house day after day because the fracture can become unstable. Because it is an old fracture now that has tried, but failed to heal, wearing a hard collar will not help it heal. This situation is emotionally distressing, and significantly disrupts my life.
Now, as part of my legal case, I need to hire a highly qualified forensic computer analyst to testify as an expert witness, as defined by law. Their testimony will be essential in explaining the nature of my injury and how the delay in diagnosis and treatment has impacted my health. The cost of this expert’s time and video testimony at trial totals about $3,500, and I am seeking your help to raise these funds. The funds raised will go directly to securing the expert witness needed for my case.
If there are any funds left over, I plan to donate them to Habitat for Humanity , to help provide safe, stable housing for others who are in need. That donation will be something I will inform you of and that you can check.
If you are able to contribute, no matter the amount, it would mean so much to me. I would also appreciate it if you would share my plea on your social media pages. Your support will help me fight a major health care organization for justice and allow me to begin healing in a way that I haven’t been able to for far too long.
Thank you for your consideration and generosity.
________________________________________
Reference:
Spine-Health. (2025). C1 Fracture: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments. Retrieved from Spine Health
