6-Year-Old Girl Undergoes 10-Hour Surgery to Disconnect Half of Her Brain in Effort to Cure Rare Disease
A brave 6-year-old girl named Brianna Bodley recently underwent an extensive 10-hour surgery in California to treat a rare neurological disease. The procedure, known as a hemispherotomy, involved disconnecting half of Brianna’s brain in hopes of curing her condition. This life-changing surgery took place on September 28 at Loma Linda University Medical Center in Loma Linda, with Dr. Aaron Robison leading the medical team.
Brianna’s mother, Crystal Bodley, created a GoFundMe page to raise awareness and support for her daughter’s medical journey. According to the page, Brianna was diagnosed with epilepsy in August 2022 after experiencing nighttime seizures and spending five days in the hospital. One month later, she was admitted again for eight days, and medical professionals diagnosed her with Rasmussen’s encephalitis, a rare disease that affects only one half of the brain.
After unsuccessful attempts with various seizure medications, it was recommended that Brianna undergo the hemispherotomy to stop the disease from progressing further. Dr. Robison told ABC 7 that disconnecting half of Brianna’s brain could potentially cure her condition entirely.
Rasmussen’s encephalitis is a chronic inflammatory neurological disease that primarily affects children under the age of 10, although it can also impact teenagers and adults. Symptoms include severe seizures, brain inflammation, mental deterioration, and a progressive loss of neurological functions such as motor skills, speech, and eventual paralysis on one side of the body.
Hemispherotomies are typically performed on children who have seizures unresponsive to medication due to damage occurring only on one side of the brain, as seen in cases of Rasmussen’s encephalitis.
As of October 3, Brianna was out of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and had been transferred to a regular hospital unit at the children’s hospital. Crystal Bodley provided an update on Brianna’s road to recovery on the GoFundMe page, stating that Brianna would soon begin inpatient rehab, where she will learn how to walk, regain the use of her left arm, and undergo speech therapy.
Crystal also maintains an Instagram page documenting Brianna’s journey and recovery process. In a recent post on October 9, Crystal shared, “Pushing through these days trying to learn how to walk again and seeing things that are on her left side. She only sees what’s right in front of her and to the right. Everyday we see little progress of her getting better but, still a long journey to go with tons of physical therapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy.”
Brianna’s journey toward recovery still has a long way to go, but her story serves as an inspiration for many. The courage and determination displayed by this young girl and her supportive family remind us of the strength of the human spirit in the face of adversity.