Megan Dixon went to the hospital for some tests. She was discharged after two years.
The teenager, who started feeling sick at 13, was eventually diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) at 16. She was left completely paralysed after a hospital stay meant for tests.
Once unable to walk, talk or open her eyes, she had to spend two years in care. Now, she’s preparing to move into her own home in Peterborough. She hopes of becoming a nail technician and rebuilding her life.
At 18, Megan moved to a care centre far from her family for treatment. She felt alone and vulnerable. Paralysed and unable to speak or see, she recalled how hard it was, especially for her parents.
She was diagnosed with FND, which disrupted signals between her brain and body. At her worst, she had 50 seizures daily.
She couldn’t speak, see or swallow. She was tube-fed and fully dependent on others. Now, seizures have reduced to 10–15 a day.
“It was not easy. I think it was a lot harder for my mum and dad to have to leave me there on my own, but I couldn’t do anything for myself. I was paralysed from the neck down,” Megan told the BBC.
Her life has completely changed after 18 months of therapy. Though she can’t walk due to knee contractions, she can now move, talk and see.
Megan was told she might not survive
Once told she might not survive, she’s now 20.
“I was getting to the point that I nearly died in hospital, my body just shut down that much. The doctors did have to tell my parents to prepare for the worst – they didn’t think I would make it to 18 and here I am at 20,” she told the publication.
As she is saving for a course, Meghan looks forward to living with her boyfriend.
