'I kept falling over when I was a kid - now 15 screws keep me alive'

'I kept falling over when I was a kid - now 15 screws keep me alive'Being told she wouldn't live past the age of seven, brave Steffni Randle was determined to defy the grim prediction and live a normal life with 15 screws in her skull to keep her aliveCommentsNewsNiamh Kirk Features Writer and Andrea Caknis11:30, 19 Apr 2026View 6 ImagesSteffni was told she wouldn't live past the age of seven(Image: steffninicole_hollowtips/Cover Images)As a toddler, Steffni Randle was constantly falling - a habit doctors initially dismissed as normal clumsiness - but her mother knew better.‌At just two-years-old, while most children are finding their feet, Steffni received a life-altering diagnosis - Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Now 27, Steffni has spent decades defying the odds, despite being told she wouldn't survive past age seven, she lives a full life supported by a life-saving "Halo" brace, held in place by 15 screws anchored directly into her skull.‌Steffni is one of 50 million women with the condition, and shares glimpses of her life on social media to her 90,000 followers.‌READ MORE: Pope Leo makes history as he visits fastest growing Catholic region in Africa for first time6View 6 ImagesSteffni's Halo has become a part of her daily life and identity(Image: steffninicole_hollowtips/Cover Images)6View 6 ImagesShe said growing up people would stare but she has become more confident about her appearance as she got older(Image: steffninicole_hollowtips/Cover Images)"My spine is curved into an S and compressing my right lung, so the Halo is stretching it out and keeping me stable," Steffni, from Texas explained.The metal frame was surgically attached to her skull when she was 11 and connects to traction that helps support and straighten her severely curved spine after scoliosis developed as her muscles weakened. The 15 screws are in the outer later of her skull, holding the Halo in place.‌What was meant to just be a temporary me...