Guillain-Barre Syndrome is a rare autoimmune disease that affects just one in 50,000 women.
And mother-of-two Crystal Brown was one of the unlucky few who was fighting for her life after being diagnosed with the terrifying condition.
An emotional video posted on Facebook by Crystal’s boyfriend, Joseph Papa, captures her journey from diagnosis to hospitalisation, and then eventually, recovery. Crystal spent 10 months in hospital and was required to learn to walk, talk and move again.
Guillain-Barre syndrome involves the body’s immune system attacking the peripheral nervous system.
In an exclusive interview with 9Honey, Joseph explained the video was made to “send appreciation” to all the family and friends who had supported Crystal since her diagnosis.
“I just wanted to let them know that although they didn’t see everything, this is what it was like behind closed doors,” he said.
The video has amassed over 95,000 views
Joseph believes the flu had brought on Crystal’s GBS. “It took three visits to the emergency room because we had to be sent back,” he said. “On the second visit, Crystal got told that it was all in her head.”
The 32-year-old had to give Crystal mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and she was put into an induced coma after she lost the ability to breathe.
In the 9Honey interview, Joseph also made the devastating revelation that Crystal lost custody of her youngest son, Phoenix, to her son’s biological father while she was in hospital.
“The moment that we told her she cried for weeks,” he said.
A friend has set up a GoFundMe crowdfunding page to raise money for Crystal and her family. You can donate to the page here: gofundme.com/crystals-road-to-recovery
For more information about Guillain-Barre Syndrome visit: brainfoundation.org.au/disorders/guillain-barre-syndrome
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