Bride-to-be lost ability to walk after COVID-19 and tick bite

By Ashley Pemberton via SWNS

A bride-to-be who lost her ability to walk after being struck down with COVID-19 and then bitten by a tick fears she may not be able to walk down the aisle.

Holly Attlesey, 27, swapped online searches for honeymoon destinations for research into a rare neurological disorder after being hit with symptoms such as seizures and spasms.

She said she first began noticing her legs felt weak after contracting COVID-19 last July.

The following month, she had a suspected tick bite on her leg, became unable to talk or walk and suffered problems with her sight.

She was eventually diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), a debilitating condition that means the nervous system struggles to function.

It results in complications with how the brain and body send and receive signals.

And she has had to shelve plans to buy her first house with fiancé Anthony Clarke, 28, while she struggled with symptoms, including seizures and loss of control of her limbs.

But while their dream wedding is still due to go ahead in November, Holly’s condition has given her an additional worry.

@hollyattlesey I have had a pretty awful couple of days walking wise so i opted to make up for my steps on my bike! 2 miles averages at 5,000 steps so although i know its not the same, im very proud of myself! #fnd #fndawarenessmonth #chronicillness #disability #coverage #bike #stepcount #steps #justgiving ♬ Bejeweled - Taylor Swift

She said: “Most brides are worried about the weather. I worry about not being to walk down the aisle.

“I will take the week off work before the wedding and rest, but I won’t know until the day whether I’ll be able to walk. It’s a stress and a worry."

Despite being left in limbo due to the condition, Holly is determined not to let it ruin her day, insisting: “My one goal for the wedding day is that I’ll walk down the aisle, whatever happens after that if I use my chair or sticks, I don’t mind.

"You dream about your wedding day and you want it to be perfect, but life isn’t perfect and I’ll still be marrying the love of my life.”

Holly, of Downham Market, Norfolk, spent two weeks in hospital in September but was discharged with no diagnosis after MRI and CT scans came back as normal despite her wide range of symptoms.

When she went back to the hospital the following month, a neurologist diagnosed her with FND.

Medics aren't sure what causes FND to manifest, but one explanation is infections in the system that can cause a shock.

@hollyattlesey I havent had a bad dystonic flare up for a good couple months since starting on baclofen but i think where my body is getting a bit over tired it is fighting back on me. Its very painful and can last anywhere from an hour to 10 hours #fnd #fndawarenessmonth #chronicillness #disability #dystonia #advice #awareness #dayinmylife ♬ Oh No - Kreepa

But while she finally had a diagnosis, Holly says she was sent home with just a link to a neuro symptoms website because there is so little understanding of the condition in the medical world.

She said: “You have to research it on your own. A lot of the treatment is self-referral. There isn’t that help or guidance.

“There’s no pathways out there. It breaks my heart really. It’s a pretty scary position to be in.

“We were just about a year out from our wedding, so we were well into the planning stage and I went from looking up honeymoon destinations to researching neurological conditions.

“It stopped everything and it changed my life.”

At its worst, Holly’s condition has caused her face to spasm and caused her hands to seize up.

It can leave her completely dependent on her family and friends to help her complete everyday tasks.

She has moved back in with her mom and has lost her driving license due to the seizures.

She’s managing her condition with neurological physiotherapy and has returned to work on a phased return.

But while the bride-to-be is learning to live with the condition, she can be prone to flare-ups.

Plans to buy her first home with Anthony, an active communities lead, have been shelved for now.

Holly added: “I’ve moved back in with my mom as she’s more flexible with work and can drive me to my appointments.

“They have a bedroom downstairs with an en suite so I’ve been using that because I can’t walk upstairs. Her whole life has been turned upside down too.

“We have a honeymoon booked, we’re going to Cape Verde as the weather will still be nice in November and we have a plunge pool so if I don’t feel well, Anthony can still enjoy the pool.

“We’re still looking to buy a house together, but now it might have to be a bungalow.”

In a bid to raise awareness of the condition, Holly will this month walk 100,000 steps to represent the number of people suffering from FND in the UK.

She is also documenting how she lives with the condition on her TikTok page, where she hopes to connect with other patients and raise awareness of the little-known condition.

She added: “The symptoms are similar to MS and Parkinsons, but while everybody has heard of them, nobody knows about FND. I want to change that.”

Visit here to donate to her fundraising efforts.