Emily Willis’ health condition explained as update about ‘permanently disabled’ star shared

Emily Willis' family's legal team has given an update on the health of the former adult star after she was found unconscious at a rehab centre last year.

Willis - real name Litzy Lara Banuelos - had been a patient at Malibu Summit rehab centre last year when she suffered a cardiac arrest.

By the time emergency services arrived at the scene and were able to revive the 26-year-old, it's thought that she'd been unresponsive for around 30 to 40 minutes, leading to her suffering from irreversible brain damage.

Updates from the adult actor's family revealed that Willis had since regained consciousness but was unable to move or communicate in a ‘vegetative state’, leading people to believe she was suffering from 'locked-in syndrome'. However, an official diagnosis has yet to be confirmed.

The adult performer suffered a cardiac arrest while staying at an inpatient rehab facility (Unique Nicole/Getty Images)

What is Locked-in syndrome?

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, locked-in syndrome is a ‘rare disorder of the nervous system’. The condition occurs when blood is unable to reach the brain.

Locked-in syndrome is caused by traumatic injuries to the brain and central nervous system, including strokes, overdoses and cardiac arrest. The condition can also be caused by diseases of the circulatory system and diseases that destroy the myelin sheath.

Patients suffering from the condition are conscious and aware of their surroundings, but unable to move or communicate.

There is currently no cure for locked-in syndrome, with guidance from the Brain and Spinal Cord stating: "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."

Treatment instead focuses on making the patient comfortable and helping them communicate through devices which track eye movement.

She experienced chills, tremors, increased heart rate, headaches, feeling 'disorientated' and difficulty walking prior to the cardiac arrest (Instagram/@ emilywillisx3)

Does Emily Willis have locked-in syndrome?

Willis' family haven't explicitly stated that she is suffering from locked-in syndrome, and according to a recent update shared by James A. Morris Jr, a lawyer who is representing Willis' mother, the adult star is still bedridden and is unable to speak due to 'neurological injuries' but has been able to make some noises and small movements.

He did not rule out locked-in syndrome as the underlying cause.

"What we are seeing here is the damage to the brain following a lack of oxygen after the cardiac arrest," Programme Lead for Medical Science at the University of Chester in the UK, Dr Gareth Nye, told the Daily Star.

"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."

Her mother is now pursuing legal action against the clinic (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Why have her family launched legal action against the medical centre?

Willis' mother, Yesenia Cooper, has since launched a lawsuit against Malibu Summit, alleging 'abuse of a dependent adult, professional negligence, negligence and fraudulent business practices' over the company's care of her daughter.

Morris also alleged in his recent update that Willis hadn't been seeking treatment for drug addiction, as previously thought, and that she should've been transported to a hospital prior to her health deteriorating.

They should've transferred her to a hospital earlier and let the doctors put a feeding tube in her and treat her properly while she was still (coherent) and speaking and walking," he said.

"Instead, they allowed her to have a say in her medical treatment, which is not what you do with somebody who is in severe health danger. She was in a very brittle place."

However, the rehab centre has claimed that they couldn't transport her to a hospital without her consent, with court documents stating: "It is undisputed that during her stay, (Willis) had refused to follow medical recommendations and take her medications. She refused to go to urgent care or the hospital voluntarily, despite being encouraged to do so by (Summit Malibu)."