Rebecca Louise Love, a 29-year-old UK makeup artist and mother of two, says she felt “trapped inside her own body” after a rare illness suddenly stole her ability to walk.

It began with pins and needles in her feet that lasted about a week. She then started to feel weaker, struggled to get off the sofa and out of the bath, and developed severe back and pelvic pain. Love went to the emergency room but was sent home after tests, still without clear answers. The next day, her pain worsened. She contacted her doctor and was given painkillers. Within another day, she woke up unable to move and called an ambulance.

After being admitted to hospital, her condition deteriorated quickly. Love said she could no longer sit up or move her arms and legs, and she was unable to hug her children when they visited. She later developed facial paralysis, blurred vision, and trouble speaking. Breathing and swallowing became difficult, and she was moved to intensive care. She needed a feeding tube, was placed on oxygen, and doctors warned she might need to be put into a medically induced coma if her breathing continued to decline.

Love was eventually diagnosed with Guillain–Barré syndrome and treated with immunoglobulin therapy. Recovery was gradual, with small gains—like regaining hand movement—feeling like major milestones. She spent eight weeks in hospital relearning how to stand and walk. Now home, she can walk again but still has pain, ongoing pins and needles, and difficulty with some daily tasks.