Medical Miracle: Teen Survives Internal Decapitation After Horrific Crash
Early on the morning of Sept. 3, Lilliana Demara and some friends were out driving in San Marcos, California, north of San Diego, when they were broadsided by a silver Chevy sedan.
The driver of the sedan fled, leaving the SUV on the side of the road, and the vehicle burst into flames. Demara and her friends survived, but she suffered from atlantooccipital dislocation — internal decapitation.
Her mother, Charmaine Demara, posted hours after the incident seeking any information on the accident.
“If anyone saw this accident or has any info, please contact me,” she posted. “My daughter is in critical condition and we need answers.”
Thankfully, the 17-year-old is doing very well considering the severity of her injuries. Doctor John Steele at Palomar Hospital in Escondido, where the teen was treated, said her recovery is truly a miracle.
“Breaking a bunch of her ribs, breaking her collar bones, breaking her neck, injuring her spleen, all of these things combined plus the atlantooccipital dislocation, which is the internal decapitation,” he said, according to KFMB-TV. “That’s where you break the neck away from the head. The head is basically holding on by muscles, skin.
“It happens rarely that we are fortunate enough to get such a good outcome. This is generally a devastating injury. I’ve seen three patients thrive after it. Generally speaking, they don’t even make it to the hospital.
“She could communicate with us and she could move everything and that’s just outstanding. Lily has gone through a lot and I have great expectations for her. I’m so happy for her family to get this, miracle — because that’s what it is.”
A GoFundMe has been set up to help with medical bills and to ensure Demara can take some time off to be with her daughter. Despite her good prognosis, Lilliana faces many surgeries and lots of physical therapy. By early afternoon Monday, the fundraiser had taken in about $12,000 toward its goal of $30,000.
“She’s so strong,” Demara said. “I feel like we made it through the hard part already so I feel like, we got this. She had internal bleeding and that’s all I knew from the beginning.
“It was so scary. So scary. But like something inside of me — I feel like I have a special connection with her — I just knew she was going to be OK.”
Demara also had a warning for other drivers.
“This time it wasn’t … it wasn’t our fault,” she said. “It was someone who came and hit her so, you just need to be careful when you’re driving on the road because you’ll never know who’s going to be on the road and get you.”
The hit-and-run driver has still not be identified. Anyone with information is asked to contact the San Diego Sheriff’s Department.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
