Tracey overcomes health issues to help others

A former nurse who had to abandon her career after a stroke left her paralysed is still finding ways to help others.

Tracey Harnden hoped to dedicate her life to caring for patients, but had to give up on her dreams after being left in a wheelchair aged just 26.

Although she did learn how to walk again – something she credits in part to a bee sting – the mum of two’s health battles were not over, and she suffered a heart attack, and was later diagnosed with functional neurological disorder (FND), meaning she has been unable to work in her dream role.

Instead she now focuses on supporting others with FND, helping to run a support group in Canterbury that offers advice and a chance to meet others in the same situation. The condition affects how the body receives messages from the brain and causes a range of symptoms from muscle weakness and paralysis to seizures and sensory issues.

Tracey, 56, said: “I have learned never to take my health for granted, but that there is also always someone worse off than me.

“I like to help people, and I don’t like the word ‘can’t’ – I prefer to look at what I can do.

“I find that if I focus on the positives, like helping others, whether that’s keeping a neighbour company or sharing my experiences to help others with FND feel less isolated, that is very rewarding.

“There are difficult times, and people can be very judgemental when you have an invisible disability, but I try to combat that by helping to raise awareness and educate people.”

Tracey initially suffered a smaller stroke but later that year had a massive one, when her daughter was just three years old. She had to relearn how to speak, and how to feed herself, and spent more than a decade in a wheelchair.

But true to form she channelled her energy into something positive, setting up a group for younger stroke victims, and learning to play wheelchair basketball.

Then one day a sting from a bumblebee proved to be the catalyst to helping her regain her mobility, after it seemed to ‘wake up’ the nerve endings in her legs.

Tracey said: “I suddenly thought there could be a different future, and it was my life and I should make the most of it.

“Of course, it wasn’t as simple as suddenly being able to get up and walk, and it was a lot of hard work.

“You have to learn to fight back with all you have. It took a lot of determination and it was a huge challenge, but I do think the bee sting was what started it all.

“My grandmother also gave me strength to keep going; she used to call me her Weeble after the toys because I might wobble but I always get back up.”

Tracey first began to experience FND symptoms in 2018, but did not receive a diagnosis until several years later.

She said: “At first I thought it might be another stroke - I lost my speech and the feeling in one side. But the scans were clear and back then people thought it might be psychological.

“It wasn’t until last year when I had another episode that FND was mentioned, and I didn’t find out about the support group run by charity FND Action until earlier this year.

“Now I’ve made it a bit of a mission to help spread the word, and to raise awareness of FND as a condition as well because a lot of people have not heard of it.”

The FND Action support groups meets on the second Friday of each month from 11am to 1pm at the Kent MS Therapy Centre, Merton Lane North, Canterbury, CT4 7DZ.

You can find out more about the charity and FND at https://www.fndaction.org.uk/