A 27-year-old woman who felt numb has been left in a wheelchair for the rest of her life.
Tracy Austin, 27, started to feel numbness in the sides of her body and was later diagnosed with hemiplegic migraines and arthritis.
Doctors told her that she will never be able to walk again and will need a wheelchair, the Liverpool Echo reports.
Tracy said: "I was in and out of hospital a lot, I couldn't go on holiday. I have now been a wheelchair user for two years."
Thanks to Revitalise in Stockport, Tracy has been able to enjoy some respite holidays, and has begun to feel much better as a result.
Revitalise is a charity organisation that provides respite care in a holiday setting for disabled people and carers which has services in Essex and Southampton, as well as Southport.
She continued: "I wish I knew about Revitalise sooner. The main thing I came away with is confidence.
"I don’t feel afraid or scared that I am disabled – instead I’m made to feel that I can achieve things. People accept me for who I am.”
“At Revitalise I can go out and do things. I love going out on excursions and have even visited the Emmerdale studios while on holiday.”
Tracy has been told by doctors that exercise will help the condition, and she particularly enjoys swimming in the Revitalise hydrotherapy pool as it eases her muscles and arthritis.
Tracy added: "The staff are just amazing. I can open up to them about any worries or concerns that I have, and they just sit and listen.
"I have made a few friends at Revitalise that I keep in touch with on a daily basis over Facebook. I like it because I can open up about things and we share a lot in common.”
Tuesday was World Arthritis Day, which raises awareness of the inflammatory condition that causes pain and stiffness in joints that can worsen with age.
The NHS says there are lots of different types of arthritis, and symptoms experienced can vary.
Symptoms can include: joint pain, tenderness and stiffness, inflammation in and around the joints, restricted movement of the joints, warm red skin over the affected joints, weakness and muscle wasting.
Ellen Miller, acting chief executive of the charity Versus Arthritis that anyone can get arthritis at any age - even childhood.
In fact, two-thirds of people with arthritis are under 65 and nearly three million are under 35, she says.
