NEW YORK, Oct 12, (Agencies): A brave 6-year-old girl, Brianna Bodley, is in the process of recovering after a remarkable 10-hour surgical procedure that involved disconnecting half of her brain in an effort to eliminate her daily seizures. Although she will spend the rest of her life with only half of her brain "turned on," doctors are optimistic that she will lead a perfectly normal life.

Brianna's mother, Crystal Bodley, shared that after the surgery, her daughter's entire left side of the body is "turned off." This challenging decision came after a series of seizures last year, initially diagnosed as epilepsy in August 2022. However, a month later, doctors diagnosed Brianna with Rasmussen's encephalitis, an uncommon neurological disease that predominantly affects one hemisphere of the brain.

Rasmussen's encephalitis is a chronic inflammatory condition most frequently observed in children under the age of 10. Initially, doctors attempted to manage Brianna's condition with anti-seizure medications and steroids, but the disease continued to progress slowly. If left untreated, the disease can result in partial paralysis, cognitive deficits, and speech impairments, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Dr. Aaron Robison, a pediatric neurosurgeon at Loma Linda University Health, expressed his concerns to Brianna's parents, noting that her brain was shrinking due to the seizures' damaging effects. He recommended the procedure of disconnecting half of her brain as a way to halt the disease's progression.

Robison explained that this procedure was a significant advancement from the past, as it was no longer necessary to remove half of the brain, which could lead to severe side effects. Disconnecting the nonfunctioning portion of the brain was a more effective solution.

On September 28, Brianna underwent the 10-hour hemispherectomy procedure. Crystal Bodley described it as a long and challenging process. The remaining left side of her brain is now adapting to compensate for the disconnected right side, allowing her to lead a full life.

An update on Brianna's GoFundMe page on October 3 mentioned that she had been moved out of the ICU and was recovering in a pediatric hospital. She will undergo intensive inpatient rehabilitation to relearn how to walk and regain mobility in her arm. While there might be challenges in recovering fine motor skills in her left hand and peripheral vision in her left eye, Dr. Robison emphasized that the procedure would not alter Brianna's personality in any way.

"Brianna will still be the same person, even after disconnecting half her brain," he assured.