Woman says medics dismissed her seizure as ‘attention seeking’

By Elizabeth Hunter

A woman suffering from a rare neurological disorder claims paramedics told her the seizure was "all for attention."

Chell Moir, 37, was diagnosed with functional neurological disorder (FND) in March 2024, after collapsing at work and displaying symptoms similar to a stroke.

The mother-of-one from Leven spent days in hospital undergoing tests, until she was given an FND diagnosis, which she says has stripped her of her independence.

The severity of Chell's symptoms vary from day to day, resulting in her struggling to walk, experiencing seizures, memory issues, and motor and vocal tics.

FND is a rare disorder which affects the nervous system and the brain's ability to send and receive signals, resulting in a wide variety of symptoms and severity.

Chell says that many medical professionals she has encountered have little understanding of the condition - and was even told by paramedics during a seizure that it was "all for attention."

She said: "As I was having quite violent seizures, paramedics sat and went "it's all in her head, it's just for attention."

"I'm hearing all of this, and I can't control this.

"I'm not a child - I'm a 37-year-old woman who was very healthy and very active, who is now lying here asking for help.

"Having loved ones watch you go through that while paramedics are dismissing it - it's not reassuring to them and it's not reassuring for the person who's going through it."

Her diagnosis came after three days of tests, and she says she was sent home from the hospital with only one website to access for information about the condition.

Chell said: "I had fainted at work in March 2024.

"I felt really clammy, but it wasn't a warm day. I felt light-headed, and thought it might be low blood sugar.

"I told my colleague I didn't feel well, and then fell to the floor and blacked out.

"They reckon I was out for about a minute or so, and when I came round, I couldn't communicate.

"They were asking if I was okay and what had happened, and no words were coming out.

"They called for first aid. I couldn't stand up to get into the wheelchair they'd brought. I was very shaky and unstable.

"My dad took me to A&E. Initially, they thought it was a stroke.

"I had no sensation on my left side, and my speech was very slurry and broken.

"I had an MRI scan, a CT scan, an ECG of the heart, and lots of bloods. Nothing showed up in the tests at all.

"On 22 March, a neurologist came and got me to do a few movement tests.

"He said I had something called FND.

"He said my body and brain are like a computer - the hardware is fine, but the software isn't functioning properly.

"He gave me a website to visit and sent us home."

Chell struggled to accept her diagnosis and the symptoms that came with it, and was frustrated by the lack of information and resources available to her.

"It was something I'd never heard of," she said.

"None of my family had heard of it, friends hadn't either - it was a totally new term.

"It was terrifying. It was so confusing. I had been driving since I was 17, living on my own since I was 18 - I was so independent.

"I went from independent to having someone have to help me get dressed, to hold a cup.

"It completely turned life upside down and I didn't know where to turn or what to read.

"I have functional seizures, so I still have body jerks, a bit like an epileptic seizure, but they last longer and I'm aware of people around me.

"I have walking problems. There are days where I can't walk to the bathroom on my own, and my daughter has to help me.

"I don't leave the house alone in case I get confused. I've lost a lot of power in my lifting and grip.

"I get fatigue - even everyday tasks like making a cup of tea makes me really tired.

"Things we take for granted are so challenging now. I have to have post-its with processes around the house in case I forget things.

"It's impacted my day-to-day life. I can have days where I'm remembering everything, and the next day I can wake up and not even remember how to hold a pen."

Frustrated by the lack of information available to those suffering from FND, Chell launched her own support group, FND Fife and Beyond, which now has over 200 members on Facebook.

She says the group has been a much-needed relief, as FND sufferers, their families and carers, can relate to each other about the ways the condition affects them.

"Meeting people face-to-face is giving us reassurance that we're not alone," Chell said.

"We're not feeling heard from doctors or paramedics - we're not a community that's spoken about, there's no leaflets about FND.

"At diagnosis, when you're given the website and then sent away, you don't know where or who to turn to.

"Hospital staff and A&E staff, as kind and compassionate as they are, if they don't understand it, you feel like you have no one.

"I think it's something that not just Fife needs, but we need these support groups everywhere.

"At the very beginning, I felt so alone.

"That loneliness can take you into a really dark place with your mental health, and that stress and anxiety also impacts your health and triggers symptoms.

"I want to make at least one person feel less alone, and feel valued and heard."

The ambulance service has been contacted for comment.