FND
Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) affects the nervous system, disrupting how the brain and body send and receive signals. FND is classified as a rare disease, affecting approximately 1 in 10,000 people worldwide. I am one of those people.
Throughout my journey with FND, I have gained tremendous insight into this condition and have made it my mission to spread awareness. By sharing my personal story, I hope to help others better understand the realities of living with FND.
I recently had the incredible opportunity to share my story on a national pageant stage (video below). This moment was extremely special to me, representing both my personal triumph and my commitment to advocacy.
I will continue to share my experiences, challenges, and victories living with FND. By bringing this rare condition into the spotlight, I hope to foster greater understanding, support, and eventually, improved treatment options for everyone affected by this disorder.
My Story
When I was in 7th grade, I was a pretty active kid. I ran club cross country and track, and I genuinely loved it. I had broken my middle school's mile record and was excitedly preparing to compete at the Junior Olympics at ESPN Wide World of Sports in Florida.
Then one day at practice, running suddenly became harder. I started slowing down for no apparent reason. Gradually, everything in my life began to decelerate. I grew weaker and found myself sleeping almost all day. About a month before I was scheduled to run at the Junior Olympics, I was diagnosed with Epstein-Barr Virus (Mono). Treatment for Mono is straightforward—plenty of rest and staying hydrated. The doctors predicted it would only last two weeks, so I figured I'd still have plenty of time to get back on track to compete. Unfortunately, that wasn't how things unfolded.
As days passed, I felt increasingly weaker, struggling even to get out of bed. I was sleeping 18+ hours daily. Deep down, I began to realize I wouldn't be running at the Junior Olympics. When the doctor confirmed this, I was devastated. I had poured my heart into training, and now I knew I wouldn't be crossing any finish line anytime soon.
The years that followed showed that my body never fully recovered from Mono. I was eventually diagnosed with a chronic pain syndrome called Fibromyalgia—a condition that causes extreme fatigue and weakness. Managing this condition took considerable time. I did physical therapy for about a year and tried numerous medications before finally finding one that worked for me. This helped me manage my Fibromyalgia symptoms so I wasn't in constant, extreme pain. While I couldn't return to running the way I once did, I could at least get through a day without being in agony.
My freshman year of high school wasn't what I had imagined, with COVID shutting everything down starting in March. As I entered my sophomore year, I had a feeling it would be better—I was looking forward to being back with my friends after spending half a year at home due to the pandemic.
But on the very first day of sophomore year, everything changed again. I was at lunch with all my friends when suddenly I lost consciousness. I woke up in the hospital with no recognition of anyone—not even my parents. Not recognizing my own parents was definitely the scariest part. No one really knew what had happened or if it would happen again. Although we hoped it was a one-time occurrence, these episodes started happening every single day.
I spent several days in and out of hospitals, but no one seemed to know what was causing these "episodes." I couldn't feel them coming—I would just suddenly drop to the floor unconscious. These years were frightening and extremely frustrating for everyone involved. It took doctors a long time to figure out what was happening.
In January 2021, I was finally diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND). The simplest way to describe this condition is that it interferes with the wiring in my brain, causing me to have non-epileptic seizures. Receiving this diagnosis was one of the hardest things to face, especially because there are still so many questions surrounding the best course of treatment.
I'm doing my best each day to manage my symptoms, though my condition hasn't disappeared. I try to maintain a positive attitude and engage in activities that keep me distracted. Although this journey has brought me down at times, I always get back up. I truly believe I'm one of the strongest people you'll ever meet.