Rigby woman’s detached head fused to her spine during surgery. Locals hosting fundraiser on her behalf
Published at | Updated at
IDAHO FALLS – For the first time in five and a half years, Emily Farmer literally has her head on straight.
The 33-year-old Rigby woman is recovering from a skull-spinal surgery that fused her partially severed skull, C1 and C2 vertebrae to the rest of her body. A car crash in 2019 is the cause of her condition. It left her with “exploding head pain” and she was unable to walk or do basic tasks.
Numerous visits to the doctor did not resolve her issues, until she found a specialist in Maryland who told her 50% of her skull was not attached to her body.
In an interview with EastIdahoNews.com last month, Farmer said she’s felt like a bobble head all these years.
After a three-hour surgery last week, Farmer told us in a follow-up conversation Thursday afternoon that’s no longer the case.
“My skull doesn’t even move now,” Farmer says. “I don’t have a bobble head at all, which has been amazing. I don’t know how I lived so long the way I was because this is just so much better.”
But she’s got a long road of recovery ahead of her. Doctors implanted a device in her neck to give added support to the torn ligaments in her spine. They took a bone graft from her hip and put it into her neck to help keep the device in place with screws.
Though it holds her head up straight, it still restricts her movement. She’s not allowed to move her head for the next 30 days to give her body time to heal and adjust. She’ll begin physical therapy after that to regain movement.
“He (the doctor) said it can take up to a year where I’ll be at 40 or 50%. That’s way better than where I was,” says Farmer.
Even with physical therapy, Farmer says she’s not expected to ever regain 100% mobility.
Farmer was intubated during the procedure, resulting in painful swelling in her neck. The pain she’s experienced in the last week has been “horrific.”
“I came out of surgery and I’m like, ‘I think I made the worst choice of my life,'” she says.
She’s “turned a corner” in the last week and is feeling better. She and her husband are flying home Friday and have a follow-up appointment in June.
A GoFundMe on her behalf has raised more than $16,000 and many more have sent her money through Venmo. The community has donated more than $40,000, which covers about half of her medical expenses.
Sherry Browning, who has known Farmer for more than a decade, is hosting a fundraiser for her this Saturday. She and her husband, who owns Fin Fun in Idaho Falls, own an indoor swimming pool at their Rigby home. She’s inviting the community to “swim for Emily” between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Families can sign up to swim for an hour using the QR code in the flyer below.
The cost to swim is $10 per person. Most of the time slots are filled, but there are a few openings still available. Those who don’t swim can still donate.
Prizes will be available for swimmers to take home with them.
“We have a blow up slide, a basketball hoop, diving board and we’ll have the pool toys out. It should be fun for people,” Browning says. “We’ll have snacks and water bottles for purchase.”
Raffle tickets will also be sold for a drawing for multiple prizes donated by local businesses. Farmer is among the donors. It’s a $50 Blooming Goat Gift Bag with lotion, bath bombs, lip balm, goat milk soap, a soap saver pad and a hoodie.
“Someone that doesn’t even know Emily donated a $150 raffle basket that’s just beautiful. It’s a Garden Harvest Basket and watercolor painting,” says Browning.
It includes tallow lotion, harvested parsley and dill, freeze dried plums, flower seeds and a dozen earrings.
Fin Fun is donating a $200 prize package as well. The drawing will happen on Friday, March 21 and the winners will be contacted.
Browning is having a bake sale in conjunction with the swim day. Broulim’s and Pitmaster BBQ are among the businesses who have donated items, along with numerous members of the community.
Browning is grateful for those who have rallied around Farmer and she’s encouraging people to support the cause.
“Stop by and support Emily,” she says.
Farmer is overwhelmed with the amount of support. She’s “deeply moved” by everyone’s kindness and the “generous donations” on her behalf.
“Your support has been a beacon of hope during a challenging time,” Farmer says to the community. “Thanks to your contributions, I was able to get the surgery I desperately needed. Your generosity not only eased the financial burden, but also lifted my spirits, reminding me of the strength and love found in our community.”
“I am beyond grateful to each of you,” she adds.
Farmer is planning to make an appearance at the fundraiser.
The address is 3971 East Menan-Lorenzo Highway in Rigby. Organizers will be accepting cash donations at the door. You can also donate to Farmer directly.
Our attorneys tell us we need to put this disclaimer in stories involving fundraisers: EastIdahoNews.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries.
EastIdahoNews.com comment boards are a place for open, honest, and civil communication between readers regarding the news of the day and issues facing our communities. We encourage commenters to stay on topic, use positive and constructive language, and be empathetic to the feelings of other commenters. THINK BEFORE YOU POST. Click here for more details on our commenting rules.