A teenager can't feel her legs after falling from a horse...

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SoundTikTok sound · original sound - bbc

Why it worked

The video likely performed well due to its compelling narrative of a young person overcoming a serious injury, the emotional connection it fosters with the patient and her family, and the inherent human interest in medical dramas and recovery stories.

Summary

A teenager is admitted to the hospital after a fall from a horse, experiencing paralysis in her legs. Doctors conduct various scans and tests to diagnose the cause. The video follows her treatment and recovery process, highlighting the emotional toll on her and her family.

Structure

1Teenager admitted with paralysis after horse fall.
2Medical team assesses the patient's condition through scans and tests.
3Patient expresses fear and pain, while family offers support.
4Initial scans show no obvious physical injuries, but the patient's symptoms persist.
5Further examination and MRI reveal spinal cord is normal, but the brain's response is being investigated.
6Patient shows signs of recovery and is moved to intensive care.
7Later, the patient regains some feeling in her legs and is able to move them.
8

Original caption

A terrified teenager arrives at Southmead Hospital with a possible spinal injury after being thrown from a horse. But after examining her, doctors are left searching for answers. #Emergency247 #Hospital #NHS #Documentary Emergency 24/7: Embedded inside the busy Southmead Hospital, a Major Trauma Centre in Bristol, this series reveals the everyday pressures, and complex teamwork, required to keep the Emergency Department running. It follows staff as they look after patients from diagnosis through to their treatment, encountering everything from car crash amputations, stabbings and third-degree burns.

More from @bbc

On-screen text

EMERGENCY 24/7 BBC Watch on iPLAYER NEW TRAUMA ADMISSION Cydney 17 y/o female Fall from horse Joydeep Trauma Team Leader My name is Joydeep. I'm the Trauma Team Leader, today. Hiya. You'll see a lot of people around you. and then we'll talk to you in a second. We'll get you across Family on the way? Yeah, they're coming from Essex. Just need to take some blood tests, okay? Yeah. When she's less disturbed, can you just go very quickly to a spinal survey? She's very distressed at this time. So, numbers are a bit tacky but she's a bit worried. In Increased Increased heart rate On this side, Cydney, can you feel me touching there? Have you started? Yes. No. No, okay. Can you feel me touching over here? So, you've got no sensation at L1. No feeling below lumbar spine. She's got sensation at T10. Does that feel relatively normal? Possible paralysis Can you book a full trauma scan? Okay. We'll take her to scan. Full trauma, full spinal precautions. Yep. You'll have your scribe here. Jamie-Anne Scribe Okay. My dear, just checking the pulses in your feet, okay? Okay, has she got a pulse on that side? Yes, she's got a pulse on this side. Nice one. Orthopaedic person. Do you mind checking with Joydeep if the anaesthetist is staying here, Connie, or... or going to that side? [Voice over] This might be the most traumatising thing that this person will go through in their entire life. Managing the patient's anxieties and fears becomes really important, particularly when you're dealing with a young patient, before their family comes in. I do feel really cold. Yeah, we'll get you a couple of blankets, actually. CT's ready? CT's ready? Yes. Awesome. Brakes off. And I'll just steer. Nice one. Let's go do this. Nice and still now, Cydney. We're starting that scan. Nice and still, don't move. What are the main concerns? Lower thoracic spine. Starting that injection now, okay? How does your arm feel? Like I've pissed myself. Oh, bless you. You haven't got that far yet. You might start to feel these warm feelings soon. Yeah. Awesome. All completely normal. Okay, Cydney? You're doing really well. Beth Radiographer [Voice Over] There's different fractures, look different and they're quite tricky to see, sometimes. It's why a CT is so good, 'cause it's 3D. You can see the area from different angles. Trauma CT results: All Clear Hello? Me again. The positive news is the MRI is also not showing any obvious abnormality, which is reassuring. So, we're going to admit you to an intensive care unit. Okay, that just allows us to keep a close eye on you. Erm, and you get kind of one-to-one nursing, so it's the... it's the upgrade. When I sit up, am I allowed a drink of water? Yeah. You've become my favourite person ever, now. I know, I just knew it was good news. Even after you scanned me, I'm gonna go up and give you that news myself. we're now best friends. [Laughter] Just so I can get all the credit. You know? [Cydney breathes out in relief] So, wait there. Okay? And then I'm gonna come back to see if you've got any other little injuries. I've had this fall last year... Oh, my god. It's not about you. It is not about him. My heart rate's gone up. That's how angry I am. [Laughter] That's how angry I've gotten. Nine days later, some feeling has returned in Cydney's legs CYDNEY Full Recovery Ridi Riding horses again CLINICAL UPDATES [Voice over] Sometimes after a traumatic event, the brain struggles to send and receive signals properly. The body reacts as if something is wrong, even when scans don't show any physical injuries. And the symptoms are real. Erm, but they are coming from how the body is functioning rather than damage that we can see. It's so amazing to see you up, Cyd. Yeah. Okay. Okay. I didn't ask to show off. I'm really struggling to find a reason to keep you. That's great. You're doing very well. She's good to go. Good morning. Hello there, Cydney. I'm Michael. I'm one of the neurosurgical registrar. Lovely to meet you. Can I have a quick look at your legs? How about here? Yeah. Here? Very sharp on both sides. Same. Here? Here? There you go. How about here? Here? Yeah. Can you feel that sharpness? Yeah, I can feel it. Good. Here? There you go. How about here? Yeah. Good. Now can you flex both your feet up for me? Keep them up. Up, up, up, up, up. Don't let me push down. And this one, up. Don't let me push down. They're all normal. That's the same as up here, basically. Yeah. That's all very, very good. I guess one, one, one question is, "Well, why did that happen?" And that's a very common question. Nobody know for sure, but we know when people have trauma, sometimes the spine... spinal cord can have what we call a shock or a spinal shock. Basically, your nerves say, "Oh, I've had a trauma, I'll stop working for a while." It could be that. There are, of course, other things that we also think about, be it other neurological diagnoses, that might be there. But the important thing is you are recovering very, very well. Now with your mobility, how are you on your feet? Fine. I can do it all myself. Okay. Okay. I didn't ask to show off. I'm really struggling to find a reason to keep you. That's great. You're doing very well. She's good to go. Sometimes after a traumatic event, the brain struggles to send and receive signals properly. The body reacts as if something is wrong, even when scans don't show any physical injuries. And the symptoms are real. Erm, but they are coming from how the brain is functioning rather than damage that we can see.

Transcript

My name is Joydeep. I'm the Trauma Team Leader, today. Hiya. You'll see a lot of people around you. and then we'll talk to you in a second. We'll get you across Family on the way? Yeah, they're coming from Essex. Just need to take some blood tests, okay? Yeah. When she's less disturbed, can you just go very quickly to a spinal survey? She's very distressed at this time. So, numbers are a bit tacky but she's a bit worried. In Increased Increased heart rate On this side, Cydney, can you feel me touching there? Have you started? Yes. No. No, okay. Can you feel me touching over here? So, you've got no sensation at L1. No feeling below lumbar spine. She's got sensation at T10. Does that feel relatively normal? Possible paralysis Can you book a full trauma scan? Okay. We'll take her to scan. Full trauma, full spinal precautions. Yep. You'll have your scribe here. Jamie-Anne Scribe Okay. My dear, just checking the pulses in your feet, okay? Okay, has she got a pulse on that side? Yes, she's got a pulse on this side. Nice one. Orthopaedic person. Do you mind checking with Joydeep if the anaesthetist is staying here, Connie, or... or going to that side? [Voice over] This might be the most traumatising thing that this person will go through in their entire life. Managing the patient's anxieties and fears becomes really important, particularly when you're dealing with a young patient, before their family comes in. I do feel really cold. Yeah, we'll get you a couple of blankets, actually. CT's ready? CT's ready? Yes. Awesome. Brakes off. And I'll just steer. Nice one. Let's go do this. Nice and still now, Cydney. We're starting that scan. Nice and still, don't move. What are the main concerns? Lower thoracic spine. Starting that injection now, okay? How does your arm feel? Like I've pissed myself. Oh, bless you. You haven't got that far yet. You might start to feel these warm feelings soon. Yeah. Awesome. All completely normal. Okay, Cydney? You're doing really well. Beth Radiographer [Voice Over] There's different fractures, look different and they're quite tricky to see, sometimes. It's why a CT is so good, 'cause it's 3D. You can see the area from different angles. Trauma CT results: All Clear Hello? Me again. The positive news is the MRI is also not showing any obvious abnormality, which is reassuring. So, we're going to admit you to an intensive care unit. Okay, that just allows us to keep a close eye on you. Erm, and you get kind of one-to-one nursing, so it's the... it's the upgrade. When I sit up, am I allowed a drink of water? Yeah. You've become my favourite person ever, now. I know, I just knew it was good news. Even after you scanned me, I'm gonna go up and give you that news myself. we're now best friends. [Laughter] Just so I can get all the credit. You know? [Cydney breathes out in relief] So, wait there. Okay? And then I'm gonna come back to see if you've got any other little injuries. I've had this fall last year... Oh, my god. It's not about you. It is not about him. My heart rate's gone up. That's how angry I am. [Laughter] That's how angry I've gotten. Nine days later, some feeling has returned in Cydney's legs CYDNEY Full Recovery Ridi Riding horses again CLINICAL UPDATES [Voice over] Sometimes after a traumatic event, the brain struggles to send and receive signals properly. The body reacts as if something is wrong, even when scans don't show any physical injuries. And the symptoms are real. Erm, but they are coming from how the brain is functioning rather than damage that we can see. It's so amazing to see you up, Cyd. Yeah. Okay. Okay. I didn't ask to show off. I'm really struggling to find a reason to keep you. That's great. You're doing very well. She's good to go. Good morning. Hello there, Cydney. I'm Michael. I'm one of the neurosurgical registrar. Lovely to meet you. Can I have a quick look at your legs? How about here? Yeah. Here? Very sharp on both sides. Same. Here? Here? There you go. How about here? Yeah. Good. Now can you flex both your feet up for me? Keep them up. Up, up, up, up, up. Don't let me push down. And this one, up. Don't let me push down. They're all normal. That's the same as up here, basically. Yeah. That's all very, very good. I guess one, one, one question is, "Well, why did that happen?" And that's a very common question. Nobody know for sure, but we know when people have trauma, sometimes the spine... spinal cord can have what we call a shock or a spinal shock. Basically, your nerves say, "Oh, I've had a trauma, I'll stop working for a while." It could be that. There are, of course, other things that we also think about, be it other neurological diagnoses, that might be there. But the important thing is you are recovering very, very well. Now with your mobility, how are you on your feet? Fine. I can do it all myself. Okay. Okay. I didn't ask to show off. I'm really struggling to find a reason to keep you. That's great. You're doing very well. She's good to go. Sometimes after a traumatic event, the brain struggles to send and receive signals properly. The body reacts as if something is wrong, even when scans don't show any physical injuries. And the symptoms are real. Erm, but they are coming from how the brain is functioning rather than damage that we can see.