On 15 January 2022, 21-year-old Francis Platt’s life changed drastically and was flipped upside down when she was diagnosed with Autoimmune Encephalitis.
Now 22-years-old, the Walvis Bay resident’s life took a sudden turn when doctors diagnosed her with a brain disease called Autoimmune Encephalitis, which took all of her cognitive function and forced hospitalisation for six months, including spending more than a month in the intensive care unit (ICU).
“I could not walk or talk and I had to use nappies, which made me feel helpless,” said Francis.
She explained how her diagnosis was not immediate and doctors could not pinpoint exactly what was wrong at first, but when she was finally diagnosed, it was somewhat of a relief that at least they knew what was wrong.
Once a social butterfly, Francis had to learn to live a different and uncomfortable life, but all of the challenges that were thrown in front of her did not take away the one thing she held onto until this day, the hope that she will get better.
Francis used the words drained and helpless to describe herself during the first six months since her diagnosis. She felt like giving up a few times but the strength and love carried by her family and the circle of friends that grew smaller but more authentic, is what kept her going the most.
“My family, friends, boyfriend and the medical staff stood by my side through the dark and sad moments and they believed in me when I felt weak,” Francis said.
According to doctor Vaja Zatjirua from the Namibian Brain institute, Autoimmune Encephalitis is when the immune system of a person starts to attack the nerves in the brain, causing its inflammation.
“We are not entirely sure why the immune system attacks the brain but what often happens is the body starts to produce antibodies that instead of attacking infections, it starts to attack the brain,” said Zatjirua.
He further explained that this disease is relatively new in terms of it only recently being recognised as a disease, saying that it has only been in recognition for the past 20 to 25 years.
Zatjirua added that this is a very rare disease and in his 15 years of practice, he has only treated about 6 patients diagnosed with Autoimmune Encephalitis, noting that this disease is common in young females.
When describing the symptoms of Autoimmune Encephalitis, he said that it varies from person to person, but for some, it starts with mild confusion and forgetfulness that gradually progresses and later the person also experiences seizures.
Francis, even though the memory is vague for her, said that she experienced seizures and terrible headaches that she couldn’t seem to shake.
After she was released from the hospital, her family had yet another challenge to face head-on.
The most tormenting feeling for most people is looking at the medical bill after treatment but for the Platt family the medical bill was not what made their stomachs turn, but rather it was the cost of her recovery and medication.
Doctor Zatjirua explained that the medical expenses for treating and the recovery cost for Autoimmune Encephalitis are extremely high, ranging in the hundreds of thousands per treatment session, which excluded intensive care treatments.
For Francis, she felt like she had to take some sort of responsibility, she had to think outside the box and figure out how to help her family take care of her while she was mostly dependent on a wheelchair.
“I had to help my parents pay for my medical expenses since I lost my job. I am not able to work and am no longer on medical aid,” she said.
With this weight on everyone’s shoulders, Francis felt inspired to take charge of her life and started her own perfume business.
She sells bottles of perfumes on the famous social media platform, Instagram, and as planned, all the proceeds go towards helping her family pay for her recovery and medication.
Already feeling like things were looking up, Francis and her family’s hope got enhanced when she took her very first steps on 12 December 2022. After being in a wheelchair for almost six months, being able to take those small steps felt like a victory to her.
Excited about her progress and inspired by her journey, she felt that her story should be heard by others so they would not feel as hopeless as she did and so they know that things do get better with time.
She speaks with an electric energy when she said that her diagnosis never wavered her faith and that she kept reminding herself every day to never give up and to trust in the lord.
Although Francis was so keen to share her journey with others, her family could not yet open up these wounds that are still so tender and close to their hearts.
“My mother does not want to talk about my diagnosis yet. Everything is still too raw for her. I think everyone still needs a little more time to process everything,” Francis said.
Even though Franics is still facing challenges daily, bravery and courage have continued to illuminate her path.
“I just want to say to anyone out there going through a similar situation, to be strong and stay positive. It is not easy but fight and pray and believe that the lord will help you through it all,” she said.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency