"I battled rare autoimmune disease which left me hallucinating while working on the tills at Aldi"

A woman battled a rare autoimmune disease which made her "hallucinate" while working on the tills at Aldi.

Ciara Wilkie, 26, got into an argument with customers and colleagues over "fake" money while suffering from encephalitis.

The rare neurological condition causes inflammation of the brain and leads to symptoms including seizures, mood swings and behavioural changes.

Ciara's boyfriend, Joe, 26, a tattoo artist, became concerned when he found her "rambling" at home and filling three notebooks with scribbles.

She was rushed to hospital after having a seizure, and it took medics three weeks to diagnose her.

During that time Ciara's symptoms got worse - until she couldn’t recognise people, forgot how to talk and refused to go to sleep.

Ciara said her "whole life has changed" since the diagnosis - she can no longer do day-to-day things like work, drive, cook, or walk to the shops.

She still needs round-the-clock care but is determined to get back on track and raise awareness for her condition.

Ciara, from Castle Vale, Birmingham, said: “I remember arguing with customers and accepting a fake £50 note from someone.

"Things didn't feel real and I didn't feel like I was really there.

“My sister said it seemed like I had taken drugs because I was so excited and talking really fast when she saw me.

“Doctors thought maybe I had been spiked or was having a mental breakdown."

In May 2022, Ciara noticed she was having unusual symptoms.

She said: “I was setting up a party in the garden for my niece’s birthday when I my head started hurting.

“I couldn’t see straight so I went home.

“I thought I just hadn’t drunk enough water or been in the sun too long that day.

“That was probably the start of my brain condition and I didn’t realise it.”

A couple of days later, Ciara tried to go back to work at Aldi, where her symptoms continued and got worse.

Ciara was on a “cocktail” of drugs including antibiotics, steroids, antipsychotics, anti-inflammatories, supplements, sedatives, and pain killers.

Ciara had 15 plasma exchanges, which removes the disease from the plasma in her blood - replacing it with new plasma fluid.

By December 2022, she slowly started feel like herself again and after two months in hospital, she was finally discharged.