Hi, my name is Jada, and I am fundraising to buy a car so that I can have reliable transport and start reclaiming my independence again while living with FND.

I was diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) in 2022, which has caused right-sided weakness, chronic pain and altered sensation in the entire right side of my body. This impacted how much I could walk, my energy levels and my overall mental health. Due to this, I had to give up many things that I loved, such as Taekwondo, Kung Fu, acting, spontaneous days out with my friends, dancing, and the opportunity to experience a year abroad in South Korea.

After some time, I was managing to get on with things, learning how to navigate the world using a walking stick and a wheelchair when needed. Understanding which places were accessible and when to say no if a situation was too difficult for me. I have such amazing friends who also made it so easy to make the adjustments I needed, and my amazing mum became my full-time carer.

However, my FND has taken a decline, and since the end of August, I have been suffering from Functional seizures (Non-epileptic seizures) multiple times a day, along with my other existing symptoms. These are so painful and cause the right side of my body to seize up, and unpredictable, which has caused me to have many falls, causing me to now be housebound for my own safety. Because of how unpredictable the seizures are, it means that my mum also can't leave the house to be able to do anything outside of the house, unless she takes me with her using my wheelchair.

The area I live in has poor transport links, and getting to the nearest shops means going up a steep incline, which is a struggle for my mum with her bad knees, and even more so when she has to push me in my wheelchair. Getting a taxi is also difficult as many don't have boots big enough for my wheelchair, meaning we have to spend extra money on larger taxis just to travel a 5-10 minute distance.

Being able to have a car would allow my mum to take me to my GP appointments in person, do the weekly food shop, and it would allow both of us to go out and enjoy time outside the house without the worry of not being able to access a taxi big enough to take us home. Just being able to do these really simple things would improve our situation so much and make our day-to-day so much easier.

The funds will be used to buy a car with a large enough boot for my wheelchair and other mobility aids, and to pay road tax.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story. Any amount you can give, or even just sharing this page, means more than I can say. Your kindness will help my mum and me regain some independence, freedom, and peace of mind.