In February 2025, I started to experience some numbness on my upper thighs which I dismissed as tiredness from working long hours on my feet. And over the course of a month the numbness quickly spread to about 80% of my body. A few days after my 34th birthday on March 19th, 2025 I was admitted into the hospital. This marked the day that my ENTIRE life would change. Within 2-3 days I completely lost my ability to walk and use my hands. I was soon after diagnosed with Guillian-Barre and AIDP which left me to rely on a walker and a wheelchair to get around. (It has now become a chronic version called CIDP, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy.) CIDP affects the nerves outside the brain and spine. My immune system was attacking my nerves and my nervous system was painfully unraveling which was affecting my motor and sensory skills. My neurologist told me to "get used to this, because this is your life now!" I couldn't accept that. After months of intense physical therapy, I was finally able to take a few independent and UNASSISTED steps to ring the bell completing my physical therapy. I still have a long road ahead of me and many goals to reach before returning to my normal life, but I am so incredibly proud to see how far I've come and how much all of my hard work is finally starting to pay off. Now after multiple hospital stays, several ongoing treatments/infusions, in-patient & out patient PT/OT/ST — I am still continuing my journey to one day regain my physical independence again. Never give up! Life only continues to show us how strong we are! Thank you to everyone who has reached out and for all of your unconditional love and support! Sometimes it was the only thing that kept me fighting! ❤️