Naomi Leigh, 23, began feeling unwell during her first year studying occupational therapy at university and later discovered she had been suffering from mysterious seizures since she was 17
A 23 year old student’s life was turned upside down when the stress of university triggered a neurological disorder that has left her in need of constant care.
Naomi Leigh, studying occupational therapy, initially felt unwell during her first university year. The young woman had been experiencing mysterious seizures since the age of 17.
In December 2023, however, a simple shopping trip became a nightmare as her right knee started to cause excruciating pain. By Boxing Day, Naomi was in such severe pain that she couldn’t walk. At the suggestion of a health advisor from NHS 111, she hurried to the hospital.
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She was taken straight through triage and admitted to Poole Hospital’s orthopaedic ward in Dorset. Her stay at the hospital extended from that fateful month until March 5, 2025.
The diagnosis was grim: functional neurological disorder (FND), likely confining her to a wheelchair for life. From her Poole home in Dorset, Naomi shared her tumultuous journey, saying: “This year, I lost everything – but despite that, I feel like I’ve gained so much more. To be told I’ve had FND since I was 17 and didn’t know it is frustrating, to say the least.”
The seriousness of her condition finally came to light in a precarious moment. Naomi explained: “It took reaching a crisis point where it was interfering with my life so much, to actually receive a diagnosis. Living on a ward for 14 months is not what I imagined I’d be doing at 22 to 23 years old. But I’ve gained a new appreciation for life.”
Before breaking up for the festive season, her tutor even suggested that she “stop doing the essential reading” after seeing how relentlessly she was chasing top marks in her classes despite obvious stress.
One week before Christmas, while picking up last-minute gifts, Naomi was hit by sharp tremors in her right knee. With Christmas around the corner and the pain turning excruciating, she checked her symptoms on the NHS website, which advised a GP visit if the agony persisted over four weeks. This nudged Naomi towards considering a doctor’s appointment post-Yuletide celebrations.
Yet, on Christmas Day itself, agony anchored Naomi to her sofa, unable to stand. The next morning, the pain escalated to such a pitch that it completely distracted her from enjoying her favourite telly shows, driving her to ring up the NHS helpline 111.
The advisor on the line, shocked by the severity of her symptoms, insisted she head straight for hospital care. That same day, Naomi found herself at Poole Hospital, where doctors voiced concerns about potential spinal stenosis, particularly upset by the fact her entire right leg was compromised. Recounting her ordeal, she said: “I was crying and crying, and put on quite strong painkillers.”
Naomi then spent the following week enduring physio sessions and undergoing numerous checks to pinpoint the root issue behind her suffering. To her dismay, during a Step Test Evaluation of Performance on Stairs (STEPS), she managed only four steps before collapsing with what was described as a “tonic-clonic-like” seizure.
Naomi had been suffering from seizures since she was 17, and despite being dismissed for epilepsy thrice post-EEG scans, her condition didn’t improve. It took an observant physiotherapist and a subsequent review by a neurologist to finally get to the bottom of it.
She recalls the pivotal moment: “My entire medical history was looked at, from the last two years. All my tremors, tics, seizures and all the times my legs buckled. The neurologist said: ‘I think I know what this is’. She examined my scans, and then she told me I had FND.”
Amidst her long stay in hospital from Boxing Day 2023 to 5 March 2025, Naomi found solace on the orthopaedic ward compared to her stint in neurology. With a vigilant team monitoring her constant seizures—a practice that’s persisted with her carers even post-discharge—she felt cared for beyond the usual patient treatment.
Talking about the challenges during her hospitalisation, she expressed: “On the ward, I was in a room by myself for 22 hours a day. I can’t fault the staff – they didn’t just treat me like a patient, it felt like a family. I have 24-hour carers with me to help with daily tasks I can’t do by myself, because I’m in a wheelchair and my seizure risk. I don’t exactly know what life will look like from now on – I’m working on unlearning perfectionism.
“But I have a new-found appreciation for life – I can make myself a cup of tea, which is incredible! I also share my story on Instagram [@this.autistic.life.lived], which I’ve been able to grow from 4,000 followers to 45,000.”
Naomi is actively fund-raising for a new electric wheelchair – her GoFundMe page is up and running for those who wish to contribute.