'I went to school as normal, I was paralysed by lunch' - North Shields teen suffers rare condition

Ava Kennedy has been undergoing treatment after being suddenly paralysed. Emily Reader reports.

A teenage girl from North Shields says "life is so much harder" after she was paralysed without warning.

What started as a normal day at school for Ava Kennedy, aged 14, ended with her losing the ability to walk.

In November 2023 she was sitting in class when she felt a sudden burning sensation in her thighs. She was taken to hospital and diagnosed with a lump on her spine caused by tangled blood vessels.

The medical term for the rare condition is Arteriovenous malformation (AVM).

Ava said: "It's harder now, I can't go to school properly and I always have to have someone with me and that's hard. I just can't do everything properly. I can't do everything myself."

Ava spent a number of months in hospital undergoing tests to determine exactly what happened to cause the sudden paralysis without warning.

Rebecca Kennedy, her mum, said: "Ava woke up as usual, she walked to school that morning and by midday she was paralysed.

"It was just awful, it was like a horrible bad dream."

It was a difficult time for the family with Mrs Kennedy taking time away from her full-time job as a teaching assistant at a school for children with special educational needs and disabilities to support her daughter.

Mrs Kennedy added: "What we thought might be a weeks in hospital, soon turned into months. Being a parent in hospital I was googling everything, I was in contact with people all over the world who have had an AVM.

"We are trying to juggle work, school life, rehab, life and so many appointments in between. It's really hard, but we know we have got to do it. "

Ava's injury is likely to be irreversible, but her parents say they won't give up hope. They are paying for private physiotherapy at Neural Pathways in Gateshead.

As part of her rehabilitation, Ava uses high tech equipment which helps her to rebuild muscle and even walk.

Friends and family are raising money to help with costs, and to renovate the family's home in North Shields, to make it wheelchair accessible.

Mrs Kennedy said: "For about six weeks of therapy, it is costing around £2,500, but it is the best she can get.

"The progress is very little but we are seeing it. Nothing is obviously going to change overnight, and we know that. We know it's going to take a long time, but it is definitely progress."

So far more than £28,000 has been donated to help Ava to access the specialist care she needs. The family have thanked everyone who has supported them during Ava's ongoing recovery.

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