Teen Was Enjoying the Trampoline Park—Then a Rare Injury Changed Her Life

A high school dancer had her life changed forever when she suffered a spinal cord stroke last year, leaving her paralyzed from the neck down. Elle Yona, 17, from Miami was doing backflips at a trampoline park in June 2024 when she started to experience sudden back pain. She hadn't fallen or felt any notable injuries, but moments later, she started to lose feeling in her arms too. Elle's mom, Franchesca Horsley Yona, took her to the hospital. She was able to walk through the doors, but sadly her condition deteriorated, and she wouldn't manage to walk back out. Along with her mom, Elle's older sisters Mia, 28, and Demi Yona, 26, have spoken to Newsweek about her life-changing diagnosis which turned their family upside down. "When she first got to the ER, doctors thought she was suffering from a panic attack. When it became clear that this was not a psychological problem, she was transferred to the main trauma hospital," Mia said. "The day after, doctors were still frantically trying to figure out what happened, and they said she might go into respiratory failure. They advised our family to come right away because she was in a life-threatening situation. They told us to expect the worst."

During her first week in the intensive care unit (ICU), medical staff ran multiple tests in the hopes of reaching a diagnosis. They wondered if it could be a spinal cord stroke, or an autoimmune disease attacking her spine. She received treatment for the latter, but when that had no impact, she was transferred to a hospital specializing in spinal cord injuries. After two weeks in the hospital, Elle was diagnosed with a catastrophic spinal cord stroke. "Our entire family was devastated and scared. The first week in the ICU was a rollercoaster as we prayed for the best possible diagnosis, but sadly did not receive it. We tried our best to be strong and shield Elle until we knew for sure what happened," Mia told Newsweek. "It was devastating to learn that Elle could not cough, sneeze or laugh anymore as the muscles needed for that were affected by the stroke. That made my mom so sad because laughing is so important."

A spinal stroke occurs when the blood flow to the spinal cord is stopped, often caused by blood clots or hemorrhages. They're very rare and account for less than 1 percent of all strokes, according to The Cleveland Clinic. Symptoms often start with sudden neck or back pain that spreads to the arms and legs. Individuals can also lose sensations such as touch, develop incontinence, and paralysis. Dr. Melita Theyagaraj, who serves as a physician on the spinal cord injury unit at the University of Maryland Rehabilitation and Orthopedic Institute, explained to Newsweek that the cause of a spinal cord stroke can be sudden or may happen "over a period of time." It can happen to anyone at any time of their life, and recovery will depend on the severity of the injury. "The medical team will need to determine if it is a complete spinal cord injury (poor prognosis) or an incomplete injury (better prognosis for recovery) by performing a detailed motor and sensory exam and assess for bladder and bowel involvement," Dr. Theyagaraj told Newsweek. "Some patients will have residual deficits from the spinal cord stroke with some recovery and some patients will not have any improvement from their initial injury. If the injury and damage to the spinal cord is minimal, patients will make significant recovery." Elle's family was warned that "things could get a lot worse before they got better." Mia's biggest fear was that her little sister would go into respiratory failure and need to be intubated. She knew that could cause lasting physical damage. Elle spent over three weeks in the ICU before transferring to an inpatient rehabilitation center. She stayed there for two months, receiving extensive physical and occupational therapy. "While Elle was in rehab, she was taught how to drive an electric wheelchair using her chin. Since she did not have any movement from the shoulders down, this was her only option. Throughout her stay in rehab, Elle gradually regained some slight movement in her right arm," Mia told Newsweek. "Elle is incredibly strong, but her paralysis affects her emotionally. She went from learning how to drive a car to learning how to drive a wheelchair. Her dance team performances were supplanted with physical therapy, and high school classrooms replaced with sterile examination rooms." Over time, Elle regained some strength in her arm and learned to use a joystick to control her wheelchair instead. It's still unsure why Elle suffered the spinal cord stroke, as an otherwise healthy teenager. Some doctors have speculated that the extension of her neck while doing backflips could have caused a blood vessel to burst, but they don't know for certain.

Awareness for Spinal Cord Strokes

With the help of her sisters, Elle shares her journey on social media (@elle.yona) to raise awareness. While her life might look very different now, she's keen to educate others on spinal cord strokes. A video documenting how far she'd come in six months of rehabilitation has gone viral with over 27.4 million views and 1.1 million likes on TikTok so far. Her older sister Demi believes that awareness is what gives Elle "a sense of purpose" during this long road to recovery. As a former competitive dancer, Elle hopes to be able to dance again one day in the future. "She's doing the best she can. She goes to physical and occupational therapy five days a week and her life is largely consumed by treatments. She requires round-the-clock care, but given her young age, we are praying for a meaningful recovery," Demi told Newsweek. Is there a health issue that's worrying you? Let us know via health@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.