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Topics: Emily Willis, Health, Celebrity
Locked-in syndrome has been explained after one of Emily Willis' exes spoke out about her condition.
The former adult star, whose real name is Litzy Lara Banuelos, was left 'permanently disabled' after being checked into a rehab centre in 2024.
Her family released a statement on her health last summer, saying that while she was out of a 'vegetative coma', their world had been 'turned upside down' and that she was 'fighting'.
They have filed a lawsuit against the rehab centre, Summit Malibu, alleging that there has been an 'abuse of a dependent adult, professional negligence, negligence and fraudulent business practices' after she was admitted on 27 January 2024 for a 'ketamine addiction'.
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It's alleged that Willis' condition deteriorated as she suffered from hot/cold chills, tremors, vaginal pain, and feeling 'disorientated' among other symptoms.
On 3 February, the emergency services were reportedly called but Willis was not taken to hospital.
The following day, she was 'found unconscious' and it took paramedics between 30 and 40 minutes to restore her heartbeat.
This resulted in Willis suffering from 'irreversible' brain damage, leaving her conscious but unable to speak, which led some to believe she was suffering from 'locked-in syndrome'.
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, locked-in syndrome is a 'rare disorder of the nervous system'.
Programme Lead for Medical Science at the University of Chester in the UK, Dr Gareth Nye, told the Daily Star that it is 'damage to the brain following a lack of oxygen after the cardiac arrest'.
He added: "It is encouraging to see that she seems to be conscious, recognises people and can track with her eyes. However, it is highly likely she is suffering from a condition called locked-in syndrome."
This can cause paralysis apart from the muscles controlling eye movement, or being conscious and being able to think, without being able to move or speak.
It is possible to communicate with blinking eye movements, though.
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke says causes of the condition could be anything from a traumatic brain injury (TBI), diseases of the circulatory system, a medication overdose, or a disease which destroys the myelin sheath (the insulating layer which wraps around axons of nerve cells).
Brain and Spinal Cord states that there is no current cure for the condition, explaining: "It is incredibly unusual for someone with locked-in syndrome to make a significant recovery of motor function, although there are a handful of documented cases."
The way of dealing with patients who have the condition is to make them more comfortable, with eye-tracking devices often used so they can communicate.
Mike Majlak, best known for being the co-host of the Impaulsive podcast alongside Logan Paul, spoke about her ex-girlfriend's condition in the past, having dated Willis prior to his high-profile relationship with Lana Rhoades.
During an appearance on Steve-O's Wild Ride podcast last year, Majlak said they were 'very close', adding: "It's bad, actually. She was incredible.
"We had a really great friendship and relationship, but she had her own struggles, and she recently, while at rehab, fell into a coma, and she's been in a vegetative state."
James A. Morris, Jr., the attorney representing Willis and her mother in the lawsuit, recently shared an update on her condition.
He told The Mirror US: "She remains bedridden due to her neurological injuries."
However, he did confirm that while Willis is still unable to speak, she can make some sounds and 'move her body somewhat'.
But with a diagnosis still not confirmed, Morris, Jr. said that locked-in syndrome was a 'possibility'.
