A mother has been stuck in bed for five years after suffering stroke-like symptoms "completely out of the blue."
Leah Smith, 40, has to lie flat and often experiences seizures and numbness around her body.
The mum-of-five, from North Wales, underwent tests and MRI scans to try and find the cause of her symptoms after her first episode in 2017.
Mum Debbie, 62, was sat next to Leah when she first took a turn for the worse.
"It was like an altered consciousness, I could see she wasn't herself," she told the Echo.
"She looked a bit vacant, she was able to speak but I would see she wasn't completely with us so I rang an ambulance."
In the weeks that followed, Leah began feeling numbness in her legs and underwent a lumbar puncture to check for multiple sclerosis (MS).
Doctors later discovered that the lumbar puncture had caused a Cerebrospinal fluid leak (CSF.)
Despite having procedures to try and fix it, which gave Leah temporary pain relief and allowed her to sit up for an hour at a time, they ultimately proved unsuccessful.
She has since been diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) - a group of rare inherited conditions that affect connective tissue - and Arachnoiditis.
The pain disorder is caused by inflammation of the membranes that surround and protect the nerves of the spinal cord, which leads to chronic pain and neurological problems.
In the last five years, Leah has only left her home to attend hospital appointments and this is done with extreme difficulty and the help of a lie down wheelchair.
Debbie said: "She's got a lie down wheelchair that she can't even use at the moment because she's in that much pain everywhere, so if we can get rid of some of the pain and she can get back in that wheelchair, she'll get stronger.
"Her muscles and everything are deteriorating," Debbie said.
"The deterioration of her in the last 12 months is exponential. She's getting weaker and weaker and in more pain."
Since her diagnosis, Leah's family have been fighting to get her the help she needs but they fear time is running out.
She needs multiple lifesaving operations which Debbie said are only available through private healthcare.
However, specialist doctors in Germany and England may be able to help her.
In the meantime, she has round the clock care including from carers, specialised doctors and hospital procedures.
A Gofundme page has been set up with the aim of raising enough money for the operations and specialist transport for Leah.
Debbie said: "It's devastating that you feel that you're in this condition and you've had to fight to the extent we've had to fight to find out the reasons of what's going on.
"And to try and fight to get help to find out the help is only available with specialists you have to pay for."
