21-year-old woman woke up unable to walk or talk after ‘cost of living triggered horrific brain disease’
A woman with money worries was unable to walk or speak after the stress triggered a rare neurological disease.
Danni Cooper had been worried about her finances for months before she lost the use of her legs and was admitted to hospital.
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Her ordeal began when she returned home from work in April 2024 feeling dizzy, but attributed the symptoms to hunger.
However, the fit and healthy 21-year-old found it difficult to go into the kitchen and called her sister Mollie Harris, 26, who is a chef.
They immediately went to the emergency room, where Danni claimed her symptoms were dismissed as “migraines” that were made worse “by her period.”
When the former caregiver woke up the next morning, she could neither speak nor move.
Fearing a stroke, she went to a hospital in Wakefield, but all her scans were normal.
After spending a month on a ward, Danni was finally diagnosed with functional neurological disorder (FND) – a condition that causes problems with the brain sending and receiving information.
The doctors treating her are convinced that the financial stress caused by the cost of living crisis is responsible for her symptoms appearing “out of the blue”.
Danni said she had difficulty affording groceries because of the high cost of gas to get to work.
In addition, she only received an “average salary,” so there was hardly anything left to pay her household bills.
All this “often went through her head” and caused Danni “great anxiety and a depressive crash”.
After almost a week she was able to speak again, but she still has difficulty walking and is dependent on a wheelchair for longer distances.
Danni, who can no longer work due to her illness, said: “I have been worried about money for a long time.
“To get to work, I had to choose between food and petrol – the cost of living crisis hit me hard.
“At some point I fell into a severe depression, cried every day and that was most likely the trigger for this illness.
“FND is like when a computer has too many tabs open and crashes.
“My brain basically shut down and stopped communicating with my body. My life changed overnight.”
My legs felt like jelly as I walked into the kitchen, and I slurred
Danielle Cooper
Danni suffered from migraines since childhood – two or three times a month.
In April 2024, she believed she had contracted a viral disease during her previous job as a caregiver.
When she got home, she felt “shaky and dizzy,” but attributed this to the fact that she hadn’t eaten much that day.
She said: “I was lying on my bed and the room was spinning.
“I called my sister and she told me to make myself a sandwich and she would be over.
“But my legs felt like jelly when I walked into the kitchen and I was slurring my words when she arrived.”
Symptoms rejected
After calling 111, Nurse Mollie took Danni to the emergency room.
During the examination, Danni claimed that the doctor had attributed her symptoms to a “migraine.”
She said: “My sister had to support me because I couldn’t walk.
“They said my period was making the migraines worse and sent me home with strong ibuprofen.”
The next morning, Danni woke up unable to walk or speak.
Her boyfriend, 22-year-old Oliver Spink, spent the night there and called an ambulance the next day.
It was really terrible because nobody knew what was going on
Danielle Cooper
Once again, the doctors told her on the phone that it “could be a migraine.”
Oliver took her back to the emergency room, where she waited 14 hours for a stroke nurse and was admitted overnight for tests.
She said: “Oliver had to help me shower because I couldn’t use my arms.
“I couldn’t speak for a week and had to type on my phone.
“It was really terrible because nobody knew what was going on.”
After performing a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a computed tomography (CT) scan and an electroencephalogram (EEG) – a test to measure electrical activity in the brain – the doctor ruled out a stroke and the neurological disease multiple sclerosis.
Danni spent a month in Pinderfields Hospital until a doctor finally diagnosed her with FND.
Symptoms vary from person to person but may include weakness in the limbs, seizures, tremors, facial spasms, and difficulty speaking and swallowing.
What is a functional neurological disorder?
According to the British charity FND Action, FUNCTIONAL neurological disorders are “disorders of the brain networks”.
The brain is unable to send and receive messages properly, which affects all parts of the body.
Some symptoms can cause significant disability, especially if left untreated.
The treatment includes “retraining” the brain with special physiotherapy, distraction techniques and psychotherapy.
But about 70 percent of those affected have the same or worse symptoms ten years later.
The exact causes of FND are unknown. Symptoms may appear suddenly after a stressful event or emotional or physical trauma, such as a head injury, migraine, surgery, or vaccination.
It can be caused by the interaction of several factors, for example by the brain shutting down when a threat is perceived or when trying to avoid pain, but also by a genetic susceptibility to the disease.
It is estimated that up to 120,000 people in the UK have FND, and 10,000 new cases are reported each year, according to The Brain Charity. Yet most people have never heard of it.
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“The doctors believe it was most likely caused by stress,” Danni said.
“I was very worried about money and had previously suffered from depression.
“It was good to have a diagnosis, but it is a lifelong condition.
“There are times when I feel better, but it can flare up again and will always be there.”
Although Danni has regained her speech and ability to walk, she still relies on a cane or wheelchair to get around.
She continues to suffer from tremors and has had to move to a more accessible building.
Danni said: “I am slowly building up my strength again so that I can become a little more independent and hopefully start driving again.
“Not all disabilities are visible and sometimes I get strange looks when I use a blue ID card.
“Many doctors still don’t know what FND is.
“The disease is less well known, but I hope I can raise awareness.”
What help is available with my energy bills?
If you’re struggling to make ends meet, there are many ways to get help paying your energy bills.
If you get into debt, you can always contact your utility and ask if they can offer you a repayment plan before they connect you to a prepaid meter.
You pay off your debts in installments over a set period of time.
If your supplier offers you a repayment plan that you don’t think you can afford, talk to them again to see if you can negotiate a better deal.
Several energy companies offer subsidy programs to customers who have difficulty paying their bills.
However, eligibility requirements vary by provider and the amount you can receive depends on your financial situation.
For example, British Gas or Scottish Gas customers who are struggling to pay their energy bills can receive grants of up to £2,000.
British Gas also offers help through its British Gas Energy Trust and Individuals Family Fund.
You do not have to be a British Gas customer to apply for the second fund.
EDF, E.ON, Octopus Energy and Scottish Power also offer subsidies for customers in need.
Thousands of vulnerable households are missing out on additional assistance and protection measures because they do not register with the Priority Services Register (PSR).
The service helps vulnerable households, such as the elderly or sick, and benefits include early warning of power outages, free gas safety checks and additional support in emergency situations.
Contact your energy company to find out if you can apply.
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