A woman who was given her life back by a pioneering operation is now 'bedbound and in a neck brace 24/7' again.
Melanie Hartshorn was horrified to discover the symptoms of agonising Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS) had started to return - more than a year after she returned from having lifesaving surgery in Barcelona.
Now the 29-year-old has confirmed that she is now back to being unable to leave bed, or even sit up, without fainting or being sick.
Melanie, from Cramlington, is now facing the prospect of yet more fundraising to get back to Spain, where she says doctors say they believe they may be able to reverse the damage.
"I'm just tired and sore and worried about it all," said Melanie.
"It's really hard campaigning and fundraising when you're like this."
It's a crushing blow for the graduate, who had finally begun to live life to the full after being bedbound for years due to an extreme form of a rare illness.
Melanie returned home to Northumberland in 2017, after two operations conducted by a neurosurgeon in Barcelona to tackle the severe spinal and cranio-cervical instability caused by her EDS, which had left her skull and brain sinking dangerously into her spine.
More than £160,000 was raised by generous wellwishers for the operation, which allowed the Newcastle University graduate to enjoy two years without the "horrific" neurological symptoms of the condition.
Before her operation, Melanie had lived with seizures, tremors and even a risk of death due to the high potential for skull dislocation.
For the last two years, she's been able to sit up in a wheelchair so has been able to volunteer at a local primary school and enjoys cinema trips, nights out with her friends and going to concerts.
Six weeks ago she underwent an operation on her knee to deal with an old dislocation. But awaking from general anaesthetic she realised with horror that her symptoms had begun to return.
Now, she said: "I can't sit up without being sick, getting dizzy, nearly passing out, so I'm back in bed in a neck brace 24/7.
"The only thing that's different is I'm not having seizures yet, so that's my big worry, that they're going to start again."
Melanie now faces a race against time to get to Spain and have the complication from the anaesthetic fixed.
She said: "We need about £80,000 and we've just about got £3,000.
"I'm just hoping other people do fundraising events for me because I'm not well enough to organise them myself."
To donate to the appeal go to https://www.gofundme.com/melanies-mission-to-live
