Paralysed Wallsend woman in care home after little known condition changes life 'overnight'

NCJM
Abbie Potts is paralysed from the waist down and relies on a wheelchair to get around Credit: Clare Potts/GoFundMe

A little-known condition has left a 25-year-old woman paralysed from the waist down, after changing her life 'overnight'.

Abbie Potts, from Wallsend, lived like any other young woman until the sudden onset of a neurological disorder turned her life upside down.

Paralysed from the waist down, reliant on a wheelchair and forced to ask for help for her most basic needs, Abbie now lives in a care home.

In July 2021, she was admitted to hospital after suffering a migraine, which she had never experienced before.

After undergoing a number of tests, she was diagnosed with complex Functional Neurological Disorder (FND).

Abbie suffers from daily seizures which can last for up to six hours and she now requires 24-hour care Credit: NCJM

Abbie said: "My life changed overnight."

She spent four months in hospital before being discharged to a care facility.

She suffers from daily seizures which can last for up to six hours and she now needs 24-hour assistance.

In a post on her fundraising page, Abbie said: "FND is a very misunderstood condition which has left me from being totally independent to needing 24-hour care.

"There is no medication to cure FND which is very hard pill to swallow.

"Recovery from FND is very different from person to person, but with the right rehabilitation programme FND symptoms can sometimes be controlled but there is no guarantee which leaves my future looking very unknown."

Abbie lived like any other young woman until the sudden onset of a neurological disorder changed everything Credit: NCJM

Abbie is aiming to return to her flat and continue living the independent life she had before she was diagnosed with FND.

She is hoping to make it wheelchair-accessible and install an accessible bathroom.

The 25-year-old also hopes to go travelling again.

She said: "Being in a wheelchair will be a totally different experience to what I have experienced in the past but I don’t want to stop doing what I love just because of FND."

What is Functional Neurological Disorder?

The NHS states problems in the nervous system that aren't related to a specific neurological condition may be referred to as a functional neurological disorder.

Examples of FND symptoms include:

  • numbness or tingling in the hands or feet

  • weakness in the arms or legs

  • a tremor in 1 or both arms

  • blackouts

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