A Rotherham woman is set to compete in the London marathon 6 years after she was paralysed from the neck down due to a rare condition.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Stevie O\u2019Brian, 39, lived a healthy life and was signed up to run the both London Marathon and the Manchester Marathon in 2020 before they were cancelled due to Covid 19.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In April 2020 she started to get pins and needled in her feet and hands, lost temperature sensation down one side of her body and eventually lost bladder control.<\/p>\n
After a surgery in her neck, her symptoms began to worsen and within 2 weeks she was completely paralysed below the neck and had lost sight in her right eye.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mrs O\u2019Brian said \u201cThey didn\u2019t know if I would walk again.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was diagnosed with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMO), which is a condition where the immune system attacks the body\u2019s nerves.\u00a0<\/p>\n
According to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, there are only 1,000 people in England that have been diagnosed with NMO.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mrs O\u2019Brian has since made a remarkable recovery and six months after being admitted to hospital she took her first steps.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She said \u201cThe doctors said they were really quite shocked and he said that my recovery was really quite unusual with how severely the attack came on.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSome people with NMO might get pain behind the eye and might get pins and needles but they don\u2019t always end up with full paralysis.\u201d<\/p>\n
As she was adapting to life with a spinal cord injury Stevie deferred her place in the London Marathon for as long as she could but was forced to give it up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t feel ready for it, so I ended up not doing it. It was devastating because I used to love running.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now, Stevie feels ready to take on the marathon and had partnered with the Spinal Injuries Association.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The London Marathon will be her first walking challenge Stevie has taken since her injury. <\/p>\n
She said \u201cI\u2019ve run marathons before, but I know this is going to be completely different because it\u2019s harder on my legs. I know it is going to be really difficult, but I am just going to go and give it my best shot and just try and enjoy the day.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
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