Hi My name is Craig and I am Megs Dad, please read the following and donate what you can and please share far and wide on whatever social media platform you have as Megs is needing all the support she can get. From a pound to whatever you can afford it will help give her some life back. Happy for you to reach me through FB if you don't personally know me so I can explain more. Megan’s (Meg’s) Story – Living With FND and CRPS

A Daughter Who Once Lived Life at Full Speed

Before 2019, our daughter Megan – Megs to everyone who knows and loves her – was the kind of young woman who filled every room, every pitch, and every challenge with energy and determination. She was an active rugby player, studying for her A‑levels at Hartpury College, training alongside England Rugby players, and thriving in a world where sport, discipline, and ambition shaped her daily life.

She wasn’t just a rugby player. Megs excelled in hockey, playing for local clubs and proudly taking part in the Torbay Hockey Festival, where she even played alongside me. Outside of sport, she climbed, played football, and poured her heart into the Air Training Corps (ATC). She joined at just 13 and rose quickly through the ranks, becoming the Lord Lieutenant’s Cadet of Gloucestershire and earning the title of top cadet across all cadet services in the South West.

During her time in the ATC, she discovered a passion for first aid – something she had dreamed of since childhood. She became a skilled marksman, competing nationally, and later an instructor guiding younger cadets. One of her proudest achievements was leading the banner team through regional and national competitions, where the team placed second overall and Megs was awarded first place as Best Banner Bearer.

She was strong. She was focused. She was building a future she had worked so hard for.

When Everything Changed

In 2016, unknown to us at the time, Megs developed PTSD as a result of witnessing domestic abuse and coercion. She carried that trauma alone, silently, and bravely. There were no obvious signs of what she had endured. She kept going, kept achieving, kept giving her all.

But in October 2019, while on a cadet course in Cornwall, everything changed. Megs suffered a massive seizure that resulted in hospitalisation. Once home, the seizures became a daily part of her life – sometimes once a day, sometimes several times, lasting anywhere from a few minutes to over ten. Each time she came round exhausted, confused, and frightened, yet she still tried to carry on as if nothing had changed.

Over time, the seizures worsened. They began to take over her life.

In 2020, the truth of what had happened to her in 2016 finally came to light. Official investigations followed, adding emotional strain to an already overwhelming situation. Still, Megs kept going. She wanted to help others. She adapted. She gave 100% to everything she could, even as her own world was becoming smaller and more uncertain.

A Series of Devastating Blows

By 2024, we still had no diagnosis – only medication to try to manage the seizures. Then, after a routine eye check, Megs developed optic neuritis and rapidly lost 80–90% of her sight. Overnight, her independence was taken from her. She could no longer travel alone, cross a road safely, or do the everyday things most of us take for granted.

It broke her heart. It broke ours. But once again, she adapted. She found ways to cope, to adjust, to keep going.

Then in September 2025, while supporting her passion for first aid, she suffered a life‑threatening asthma attack and was rushed to Hospital. During her stay, 13 attempts were made in one go to take her blood gases. Shortly afterwards, her arm ballooned and her wrist folded over at a 90‑degree angle.

This injury triggered Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) – one of the most painful conditions known. CRPS occurs when the nervous system becomes stuck in a cycle of extreme pain signalling. Even after the original injury heals, the brain continues to misinterpret normal sensations as severe pain. In Megs’ case, her wrist became hypersensitive, swollen, and agonising to touch or move and still is after 7 months of cast after cast.

CRPS is often described as the body’s pain alarm system breaking and getting stuck on maximum volume. The nerves misfire constantly, sending pain signals even when there is no danger or injury. This condition can spread, worsen, and severely limit mobility and independence.

The Diagnosis We Never Expected – FND

As I write this in April 2026, Megs has been in a hospital bed since the end of February after another severe asthma attack and multiple seizures. She is currently completely dependent on nursing staff for all aspects of her care.

At last, we have a diagnosis: Functional Neurological Disorder (FND).

FND is a condition where the brain struggles to send and receive signals properly, even though there is no structural damage. The hardware is intact – but the software is malfunctioning.

FND can cause seizures, paralysis, tremors, speech difficulties, sensory loss, and profound fatigue, currently Meg’s has all of these. It is real, debilitating, and life‑changing. Symptoms can be as severe as those caused by conditions like MS or stroke, yet treatment options are limited and often difficult to access.

For Megs, FND has taken her independence, her mobility, her vision, and her ability to live the life she once fought so hard to build. Combined with CRPS, her daily pain and physical limitations have become overwhelming.

Why We Are Asking for Help

We are launching this GoFundMe to raise £20,000 to support Megs’ long‑term care needs. This money will help us make essential adaptations, purchase specialist equipment, and provide the ongoing support she will need as she adjusts to life with FND and CRPS.

We know times are hard for everyone. We know not everyone can give. But even the smallest donation brings us closer to giving our daughter the care, dignity, and stability she deserves.

Your support will give us time – time to put the right care in place, time to adapt our home, time to help Megs rebuild some of the independence she has lost.

Thank you for reading her story. Thank you for caring. And thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for helping us shine a light on these devastating and often misunderstood conditions. Mum and Dad have been separated for a couple of decades but when it comes to Meg’s care and treatment we will post as one

With love and gratitude,

Dad, Mum and Family