Naomi’s care team have suggested that the stress of university may have triggered her Functional Neurological Disorder (Image: SWNS)
A 23 year old student has been left needing constant care after the pressures of university life triggered a neurological disorder that had lain dormant since her teenage years.
Naomi Leigh, studying occupational therapy, started experiencing health issues in her first year at uni, with unexplained seizures that began when she was just 17. A seemingly routine shopping trip in December 2023 took a dire turn when she developed excruciating pain in her right knee.
By Boxing Day, Naomi was in such severe pain that she couldn’t walk. She sought help and, following a 111 call, found herself rushing to the hospital. At Poole Hospital, Dorset, she was swiftly taken into the orthopaedic ward in December and remained there until March 5, 2025.
Diagnosed with functional neurological disorder (FND), Naomi now faces a future confined to a wheelchair. From Poole, Dorset, she shared her feelings: “This year, I lost everything – but despite that, I feel like I’ve gained so much more. To be told I’ve had FND since I was 17 and didn’t know it is frustrating, to say the least.”
Naomi, who had been suffering from seizures since the age of 17, finally received a diagnosis after her condition deteriorated despite repeated dismissals of epilepsy (Image: SWNS)
Reflecting on the journey to her diagnosis, Naomi said: “It took reaching a crisis point where it was interfering with my life so much, to actually receive a diagnosis. Living on a ward for 14 months is not what I imagined I’d be doing at 22 to 23 years old. But I’ve gained a new appreciation for life.”
Before the festive break, her tutor even suggested she “stop doing the essential reading” after noticing her relentless pursuit of top grades in her modules despite the stress. A week before Christmas, while Naomi was out shopping for presents, she experienced sudden painful tremors in her right knee. As Christmas neared, the pain escalated to an unbearable level, prompting her to research her symptoms on the NHS website.
The site advised seeing a GP if the pain continued for more than four weeks, leading Naomi to contemplate booking an appointment after the holidays.
However, by Christmas Day, the pain had become so severe that Naomi couldn’t get up from her sofa. The following day, the pain was so intense that she couldn’t even focus on watching television, which led her to call the NHS helpline 111. An advisor, alarmed by the severity of her pain, urged her to go to the hospital immediately.
For seven years, doctors were puzzled by Naomi’s condition (Image: SWNS)
She went to Poole Hospital that day where medical staff suspected spinal stenosis but were also concerned that her entire right leg was affected. She said: “I was crying and crying, and put on quite strong painkillers.”
Throughout the week, Naomi underwent physiotherapy and various tests to determine the cause of her condition. However, during her Step Test Evaluation of Performance on Stairs (STEPS), she could not climb more than four steps without fainting and experienced a “tonic-clonic-like” seizure.
Naomi, who had been suffering from seizures since the age of 17, finally received a diagnosis after her condition deteriorated despite repeated dismissals of epilepsy. A neurologist, called in by one of Naomi’s therapists, reviewed her medical history and MRI scans before delivering the life-changing news.
Naomi shared her story: “My entire medical history was looked at, from the last two years. All my tremors, tics, seizures and all the times my legs buckled. The neurologist said: ‘I think I know what this is’. She examined my scans, and then she told me I had FND.”
Naomi spent a significant period, from Boxing Day 2023 to March 5, 2025, on the orthopaedic ward (Image: SWNS)
After spending over a year on the orthopaedic ward, Naomi found solace among the staff, contrasting her experience with that on the neurological ward. She was under constant watch for seizures, a precaution that remains even after her discharge.
Naomi opened up about her struggles: “On the ward, I was in a room by myself for 22 hours a day. I can’t fault the staff – they didn’t just treat me like a patient, it felt like a family. I have 24-hour carers with me to help with daily tasks I can’t do by myself, because I’m in a wheelchair and my seizure risk. I don’t exactly know what life will look like from now on – I’m working on unlearning perfectionism.”
Naomi added: “But I have a new-found appreciation for life – I can make myself a cup of tea, which is incredible! I also share my story on Instagram [@this.autistic.life.lived], which I’ve been able to grow from 4,000 followers to 45,000.”
She is currently crowdfunding for a new electric wheelchair, with her GoFundMe page available here.