Harrison Hayes was in the middle of studying for his A-level exams when he was struck down by a mysterious illness.
The teenager noticed he was becoming breathless easily and had to stop for regular breaks whenever he was out walking.
As the weeks went by, the strange symptoms persisted, progressing into general fatigue and random aches all over his body.
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Harrison, who likes to be known as Harry, visited doctors but medics were unable to pinpoint what was causing his decline in health.
Following several trips to A&E, Harry says he was misdiagnosed multiple times, told he had everything from a collapsed lung to bad acid reflux. He was eventually prescribed steroid tablets which seemed to improve his condition, seeing him return to his beloved sports including football and cricket.
But, several weeks later, while attending parents’ evening with his mum, Harry became so fatigued he could no longer sit in his chair and had to lie down.
His family were so worried they took him to his GP several more times and blood tests were finally taken.
A few days later, Harry’s condition began to deteriorate rapidly. The now 22-year-old became bedridden to the point where he could no longer dress himself.
“My mum had to help me get changed,” he told the Manchester Evening News. “She brought me all my meals. I couldn’t get out of bed.”
It was a late night in mid December 2017 when Harry’s family were urgently called into hospital. Less than two months after his symptoms started, Harry's test results were back – he had Addison's disease.
Addison's disease, also known as primary adrenal insufficiency or hypoadrenalism, is a rare disorder of the adrenal glands that sit at the top of the kidneys.
The adrenal gland is damaged in Addison's disease, so it does not produce enough cortisol or aldosterone. About 9,000 people in the UK have Addison's disease, with over 300 new cases diagnosed each year. If left untreated, it can be fatal.
It can affect people of any age, although it's most common between the ages of 30 and 50. It's also more common in women than men.
Early-stage symptoms of Addison's disease are similar to other more common health conditions, such as clinical depression or flu.
Harry was immediately rushed into critical care and thankfully made a recovery. He will now need to take medication to help with his fatigue for the rest of his life.
“I was just so weak,” Harry said. “The doctor saw the blood tests and said it was a rare disease but she thought I might have it.
“In the middle of December, I got a call late at night telling me to go into A&E. They hooked me up to loads of stuff and put me into critical care.
“If I don’t have my medication, I will start feeling fatigued. It can be fatal. When I was in hospital, they told me if it had been another week, I could have died.
“I didn’t realise how scary it was at the time. It made me very delirious; I didn’t know what was going on. I found it really tricky to comprehend the situation I was in.
“When I got home, I realised that it was a very scary time and I still talk about it with my family now.”
Harry is now set to run the Manchester Marathon on April 16, raising money for the Addison's Disease Self Help Group (ADSHG).
The biggest struggle with Addison's Disease is often the diagnosis, as the symptoms can often be wrongly associated with other medical issues,” Harry, who lives in Leeds, said.
“This means that diagnosis is often a long and horrible process, and can sometimes lead to death if the disease is not diagnosed in time. This is my main motivation to raise funds for this cause, to generate some awareness for a very rare disease, hopefully leading to fewer people not being diagnosed in time.
“I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the amazing doctors and nurses who diagnosed me and looked after me.”
To donate, follow the link by clicking here.
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