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I thought I would share Morgan's story (also known as Mowgli), and why I am fundraising for Transverse Myelitis Society so here is Mowgli’s story...

At 9 months old Mowgli was walking, at 11 months old Morgan fell down while walking in the living room, following this he stopped walking. The next morning he was unable to sit up, roll over or crawl. The next 5 days involved multiple trips to the hospital, seeing multiple doctors who advised it was a viral infection and he would be fine in a few days. Finally he was admitted at this point he was paralysed from the neck down.

At the time I the eldest of seven children almost 12 years old, my dad was working away in Ireland so me and the other siblings went to stay with my auntie Hayley. My auntie Anita and cousin Natasha went back to ours to get my mum and Mowgli bits as well as check up on our cat Jack, until dad was able to fly back the next day. After many tests including blood tests, lumbar puncture, CT scans and MRI finally there was a diagnosis of transverse myelitis. The neurological condition known as transverse myelitis (TM) is brought on by swelling and inflammation on either side of one spinal cord segment. This occurs when the person comes into contact with an infection and their immune system mistakenly attacks the spinal cord instead of the infection.

Mowgli spent 3 weeks in hospital being treated by neurology, urology, physio, orthotics and occupational health. My parents were advised a third of people make a full recovery, a third make a partial recovery and a third make no recovery. When Mowgli was discharged he was able to sit with support. Over time he learnt to crawl and walk. The inflammation of the spinal cord causes nerve damage and can leave permanent scars and lesions. The scars and lesions interrupt the communication between the nerves in the spinal cord and the rest of the body.

For Mowgli this has resulted in him having Spastic paraparesis in both legs, leg length discrepancy, thoracolumbar scoliosis, neurogenic bladder and bowel. My parents were told he would never be toilet trained and would need stomas for both bladder and bowel and while he was catheterised for a bit he is stoma free and toilet trained. He has had Botox injections in his bladder and has to have regular scans of his kidneys and bladder. Mowgli used to wear a splint and had one shoe raised and we were advised that would be for life, following Botox injections in his calf he is splint free and wears a special shoe insole.

On 13th November 2023 Mowgli had his operation to put a fixator on his leg, this is to fix his leg due to complications from Transverse Myelitis, he had multiple trips back to the hospital, with appointments to see his consultant as well as physio therapy. Currently there is no cure for this spinal cord injury meaning Mowgli will always be a risk of bowel, bladder and kidney problems. He will always have spastic paraparesis.

Transverse Myelitis is a rare condition with 1 to 8 in a million cases worldwide a year. Mowgli aka Morgan definitely is 1 in a million he is a fighter, he is a TM warrior.