06/14/2022
โฅ๏ธ ๐๐ ๐๐ช๐๐ฅ๐๐ก๐๐ฆ๐ฆ ๐ฃ๐ข๐ฆ๐ง โฅ๏ธ
In February 2018, when she was just 4 years old, we rushed Noonie to the ER after she became unresponsive at home.
After a bunch of tests that all came back negative, we were transferred and admitted to the childrenโs hospital where the neurologist almost immediately identified her symptoms as autoimmune encephalopathy and began the protocol of treatment while we awaited test results that would later confirm the original diagnosis.
But time was of the essence. The best outcome required aggressive treatment.
Over the next couple of days, my sweet baby was no longer able to speak or walk. She slowly lost her ability to walk or use the bathroom on her own.
Noonie was diagnosed with Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitisโa rare form of autoimmune encephalitisโwhich is neurological in nature, creates inflammation in the brain, and most often initially presents as psychosis.
Our baby girl is a survivor โค๏ธ We hope to be a source of awareness because we knew NOTHING of this terrible condition before we were faced with it and the road to recovery can be long, hard, emotionally taxing, and isolating. We want every family on the journey to healing to feel supported and less alone ๐ค
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