Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) turned our lives upside down. It was something we’d never heard of. But over night I went from living my usual, busy, active life as mum of 2, Primary School Teacher, to being able to barely walk, struggle to talk, daily seizures and full body paralysis.

FND put simply, is a communication problem in your brain/body. Though my brain is perfectly healthy it is struggling to function normally, impacting my nervous system and thus bodily function. Though for many years it has been considered a psychiatric disorder it is only more recently getting the recognition it deserves. A complex disorder that crosses the psychiatric, psychological, physical and neurological. Research is sparse and understanding (both medically and public) is mixed.

Though FND means I can’t walk any distance and symptoms flare up daily I am making progress, taking every little step as a win. I hope by March I will be strong enough to walk, run or maybe just wheel my way around Hyde Park 5k with the support of my husband, sisters and amazing friends. Furthermore, I’ve found some legendary fellow FND warriors who will be there with me too.

Join me in raising awareness and raising much needed funds for research.

Thank you so much!