MARI-JADE is 24 and from Winchester. She started experiencing spasms in her legs and arms when she was 18. Initially doctors put it down to anxiety but after a night out, she experienced paralysis in her legs and the left-hand-side of her face froze. Doctors thought she might have been spiked but after spending three-and-a-half months in hospital, she was diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND). Due to the condition, Mari-Jade was having 30 seizures a day but after therapy, she now experiences up to 15 seizures a day including absence, chronic or sleep attack ones. Her memory doesn’t go completely but she said her memory jogs and she can forget her name or birthday but after a couple of hours/days, she’ll remember. She experienced periods of paralysis and had to learn how to walk again after a particularly bad episode in September 2020. Her dog Gracey is her best friend and has even saved her life on multiple occasions. She has said that she is grateful for the amazing community of people around her.