She claims a consultant told her to ‘go live in a nursing home’
A freak accident while washing her hair left a young woman partly paralysed. Mim Goldsmith, now 25, exacerbated an old spinal injury when she “twisted funny” during the routine activity and started losing sensation in her lower body.
Medical tests revealed that the seemingly insignificant action had re-injured her spinal cord, which was initially damaged after falling out of bed at 15. The condition identified was functional neurological disorder (FND), presenting with symptoms including limb weakness, paralysis, and even seizures.
The speech and language therapist became confined to her bed, grappling with up to five seizures each day. She claimed a consultant bleakly suggested at 23 that her best option was to “just go and live in a nursing home”. Nevertheless, determined to improve her situation, Mim conducted personal research and experimented with various approaches to regain a level of independence, now navigating daily life with the aid of a power chair.
Mim, from Brighton, said: “I remember being in the shower and suddenly losing feeling from the belly button down. I hobbled to bed in unbelievable amounts of back pain – and scans showed it caused a re-injury of my previous back injury.
“In hospital I felt like a lost cause, but through determination and stubbornness I fought and fought, having lots of physiotherapy and occupational therapy. I have already beaten the odds in many ways – lots of people with FND never return to work, which I have. I’m showing what’s possible and I want to do everything I can to change people’s minds.”
Mim had barely finished her speech and language therapy degree at Reading University when disaster struck on June 15, 2023. She slipped in the shower, sustaining a life-altering injury.
She recalled: “I twisted and immediately thought, ‘oh sh**, this is bad’.”
Subsequent scans revealed multiple herniated discs, scarring, and bulges, necessitating the use of a catheter. Mim’s condition took a turn for the worse when she began experiencing seizures, some lasting as long as three-and-a-half hours.
She remembered: “I was able to sit for about 20 minutes a day and the rest I was just flat. I was told by a consultant that I should ‘go and live in a nursing home’ – at 23 years old.”
Initially, doctors recommended physiotherapy, but a distressing personal event hindered her physical progress and triggered more seizures.
Mim explained: “The seizures were directly linked to the pain from my injury – like my neurological system got confused and decided whenever I feel a lot of pain, a seizure will help to fix it.”
Against medical advice, Mim discharged herself and sought help at University College London Hospital. With the assistance of physiotherapists and neurological occupational therapists, she managed to regain some mobility and reduce her seizures to one a day.
She reflected: “Over time I was able to get back on my feet – I got to walk a few steps, a couple of times a day. It was about building back the neurological pathways, but I could only do as much as I was able to without triggering a seizure.”
A new medication regimen was successful in lessening the severity of her seizures, and by September 2023, Mim’s condition had improved to the point of her being discharged. Over the subsequent months, she diligently built up her energy and physical resilience, eventually becoming able to sit upright in a chair for a full day, enabling her to work.
In April 2024, Mim took on a new role at the NHS, specifically focusing on supporting children with special needs. However, she still requires the assistance of daily carers, as treatment options for FND within the UK remain scarce.
Despite a partially reduced sensation in several areas of her body and some pain, Mim has been able to take a few steps.
She said: “I’ve missed out on so much – I still can’t go to any restaurant or shop that has steps in it.”
Mim also highlighted the availability of specialised treatment programmes in Los Angeles, USA, offering access to expert support. These intensive programs come with a price tag of about £15,000, taking into consideration the costs associated with travel and lodging, forcing Mim to fund-raise in pursuit of her dreams.
She said: “I know I have so much more fight in me, but I need specialist support. From the day I twisted in the shower, I’ve just been making the best of the situation I’ve found myself in. I’ve worked so hard, and I know I deserve the best chance to reach my potential.”