A healthy 25-year-old who had a headache at work was tragically diagnosed with a one-in-a-million condition.
Martin Griffiths was in perfect health and “full of energy” when his life took a dramatic turn while at work for a drainage company.
Working alongside his dad, 47-year-old Jason, Martin suddenly felt as if he had been struck on the back of the head and rushed to hospital. Initially diagnosed with a stroke, Martin was then told he had a brain tumour and was given just three to six months to live.
However, a later biopsy revealed no signs of cancer. Instead, it is now believed that Martin suffered from an incredibly rare form of brain inflammation that affects less than one person in a million and is typically seen in the elderly – CNS Vasculitis.
After a procedure to stop the inflammation in his brain, Martin’s condition worsened to the point where his entire family, including his mother Lyndsey Cheshire, 44, and siblings Aaron, 23, Chelsey, 19, and Nathan, 13, gathered at his bedside after deciding to switch off his life support.
To the astonishment of both doctors and his family, Martin woke up a day later.
Although he was in a vegetative state, he was able to engage with his eyes, wink, and even move his lips to kiss his girlfriend, Jess Turner, 27.
Almost two years after suffering his initial headache, Martin is currently living in a care home. However, his brother Jason is hopeful they can bring him back to the family home soon.
“This was very rapid, whatever was going on in Martin’s head took hold and it was almost like his brain was on fire,” said Jason.
“What he has is incredibly rare, we were told the few cases there have been are generally in older people and they’re immediately put on to palliative care.”
Jason recalled the harrowing moment they were told Martin had three to six months to live: “I remember thinking, ‘my world has ended here, this is it’,” he said.
Despite Martin’s wish for his family to “stop crying” and enjoy holidays and trips, his condition rapidly deteriorated. “It got to a point, over a week to 10 days, where it was like talking to a baby again,” Jason said.
Martin received a plasma exchange treatment aimed at reducing the inflammation in his brain. This procedure involves replacing the patient’s plasma within their blood.
But the treatment had a “devastating” impact, and Martin was placed into an induced coma in July 2023.
“His body absolutely rejected the new plasma and over the next two days, he was critical,” Jason revealed.
As Martin’s health swiftly declined, his family faced the harrowing decision to turn off his life support. “All of Martin’s friends and family came to the ICU, there was about 21 of us,” recalled Jason. We went there prepared to say goodbye, it was definitely the worst day of my life.”
Martin’s brain has sustained severe damage but Jason holds onto hope for further recovery. “He’s not with us fully but Martin has done so many things he shouldn’t have done, he’s gone against the grain with almost everything throughout this entire process,” Jason said proudly.
In preparation to bring Martin, of Boston, Lincolnshire, back home, Jason bought a house in April 2024 which requires certain modifications to be wheelchair-friendly.
Martin may need constant care for the rest of his life, so to assist with the associated costs of adapting their home, the family initiated a GoFundMe campaign, already amassing over £2,000.
Jason said: “I’m going to be constantly looking for something that clicks with him and as soon as I find something that makes him happy, I’ll just keep on doing it.”
To find out more, visit the GoFundMe page for Martin here.
