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On March 11th, Amy's family and friends began to notice a difference in her. Amy was very confused and couldn't follow basic instructions. She was taken to A&E where she had various blood tests, a CT scan and was given a drug used to treat meningitis.
All the tests came back clear but Amy’s behaviour had become increasingly strange and so we were referred to a child psychiatrist.
After a couple of visits to the psychiatrist, it was advised that more intrusive tests were advisable and she was sent for an MRI and a lumbar puncture. 
By now Amy had descended into a state of acute psychosis, displaying schizoid type behaviour and hallucinating.  She had abnormal palsy type  movements and the seizures were beginning.
When the results of the lumbar puncture came back, we were told she needed an urgent infusion of Immunoglobulin and that they suspected she was suffering from a rare form of Auto Immune Encephalitis (a diagnosis confirmed 6 weeks later after tests at John Radcliffe hospital in Oxford). 
Encephalitis literally means an inflammation of the brain.
After transferring to the Neuro Ward at LGI, Amy’s seizures and abnormal movements became virtually incessant and were so intense she was transferred to Intensive Care and put in an induced coma for 3 weeks.
Amy is still in hospital.  The number of drugs she is on is steadily reducing and she is continuing with Immunotherapy .  She can now walk, talk and eat again but suffers from the usual symptoms you would expect from someone who has suffered a brain injury.
We have seen the NHS at its best and the love and support we have received from family and friends keeps us optimistic for an eventual full recovery.

Anti NMDA Receptor Auto Immune Encephalitis was only discovered in 2007.  Prior to that those suffering from the disease would have been confined to a psychiatric ward. 

More research is needed.

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