A young man who developed a rare neurological condition explained what it was like to feel 'trapped' inside his own body.
Liam Virgo, 21, from Nottingham, had been a healthy child who loved going to sports clubs. However his life would change drastically around the age of 11 or 12 when people began to notice Liam's cognitive skills were going into decline.
Just a few weeks later he began to walk and talk like a 'toddler' before losing his speech entirely.
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The change terrified Liam's parents Samantha and Jason, who rushed their son to hospital. A series of neurological investigations followed, with the hospital initially suspecting he was developing motor neurone disease (MND).
"Doctors really didn’t know what was going on," Samantha recalled.
"His scans kept coming back clear - after four months, he was discharged and told he may improve on his own," she continued. "But in reality, he was bed bound for three years."
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It was later discovered that Liam had developed a rare condition called functional neurological disorder.
What is functional neurological disorder (FND)?
According to the NHS, FND is a term used to describe conditions which impact how the brain receives and sends messages to the rest of the body. Symptoms of FND can vary from person to person, with Liam's condition causing him to turn into a 'toddler' at the age of 11.
Recalling the moment she saw the change in her son, Samantha said: "I can remember Liam coming down the stairs and speaking like a toddler would.
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"He said: 'Mummy! Mummy!' and his voice completely changed."
Prior to developing FND, Liam was described as an active and healthy child, with Samantha, 57, adding that he was a little 'quiet' but otherwise 'happy' and had enjoyed activities such as swimming and biking, particularly enjoying going on bike rides with his father.
However Liam has fortunately been able to regain some of his skills back in the years since, thanks to support from Great Ormond Street Hospital.
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He can speak 'fluently and intelligently,' as well as sit up in a wheelchair and taking 'a few steps' on his own.
"We don’t know if I’ll ever recover"
Explaining how he had felt completely 'trapped' during the period in which he was bed bound, Liam said he 'didn't know what was happening'.
"The only thing I can remember from that time was faces and bright lights," he explained. "My brain didn’t know what was happening - my FND stopped me from knowing.
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"My words couldn’t come out - it was like they were trapped inside my mind."
Now Liam is focused on rebuilding his life and regularly shares his life on Instagram, which has connected him with other like-minded people who have FND.
“We don’t know if I’ll ever recover from FND - all I can think about now are my dreams, wishes and goals," he added.
"I’ve been determined not to let my illness hold me back from achieving my dreams."
Topics: Health
Brenna Cooper