Vanessa Abraham, 45, a speech therapist who spent 15 years helping children overcome speech obstacles, was diagnosed with a rare form of Guillain-Barré syndrome in June 2019. The condition left her unable to communicate verbally and paralyzed from the neck down.
Abraham’s symptoms began as severe flu-like symptoms and rapidly progressed to respiratory failure and progressive paralysis. She was admitted to intensive care and later needed a tracheostomy, eye movements, an alphabet board, and text-to-speech apps to communicate.
Despite multiple medical opinions, Abraham went a full year without a proper diagnosis. It wasn’t until she visited a neurologist at the University of California in San Diego that she received answers. The diagnosis was later confirmed as pharyngeal-cervical-brachial variant, a rare form of GBS that progresses from head to feet.
Abraham’s recovery required natural approaches such as acupuncture, cranial sacral therapy, and chiropractic treatments. She also received monthly infusions of antibodies recommended by her neurologist. With the help of another speech pathologist, Abraham slowly relearned how to swallow, speak, and move.
However, six years after her diagnosis, Abraham continues to struggle with physical and mental challenges. She experiences anxiety attacks, insomnia, and can’t sleep through the night without them. Despite these struggles, she has found a way to cope by running a neurological rehab business called A Neu Healing, where she assists patients recovering from neurological impairments.
Source: https://www.gbnews.com/health/speech-therapist-loses-ability-speak-contracting-rare-disease