Two-time Olympian and tenacious Red Rose rugby player Abi Burton has revealed how a life-threatening diagnosis and medically induced coma profoundly reshaped her outlook on life, calling the experience "traumatic".
The 26-year-old from West Yorkshire, who made an astonishing comeback to international rugby, was diagnosed and treated for autoimmune NMDA receptor encephalitis at the age of 22.
"I’ve been through something so traumatic and have to remember I’m not the same person that I was before, but that’s OK," she shared.
Burton had never heard of encephalitis before her diagnosis. Her family, however, began to notice concerning changes in the months following the high of her first Olympics in Tokyo 2021.
"Initially, a lot of people put it down to the fact that I’d been injured... but I actually felt confident in my own rugby-playing ability. It was more that I just felt like deep sadness, and I couldn’t put my finger on why I felt like that," said the back-row forward, who now plays for Trailfinders Women and the England Red Roses.
During this period, Burton described losing her usual spark and was prescribed antidepressants.
"I was always one of the loudest people in the room, but I just I didn’t want to spend time with anybody," she recalled.
Her memories from May to September 2022 are incredibly hazy, with her family recounting a terrifying escalation in her behaviour from sadness to aggression.
"My mum said during this time I ran around the house unclothed, punched her in the face and ripped the spindles off the stairway," Burton revealed.
Despite having no recollection, she battled with lingering guilt over the distress caused to her loved ones. The initial assumption, given the timing after the Olympics and upcoming major tournaments, was a mental health crisis.
"The phrase ‘stress-induced psychosis’ was thrown around a lot," she added.
Following multiple seizures and further alarming behaviour, Burton was admitted to the psychiatric unit at Fieldhead Hospital in Wakefield, where a blood test finally confirmed autoimmune NMDA receptor encephalitis.
Dr Ava Easton MBE, chief executive of Encephalitis International, explained: "Encephalitis simply means inflammation of the brain and this can be caused in one of two ways. The first way is through infection... the second way is through a person’s own immune system going rogue and attacking the brain in error."
Given that encephalitis is often misdiagnosed, Burton has joined prominent figures like former Olympic swimmer Rebecca Adlington and Strictly Come Dancing finalist George Clarke to support Encephalitis International’s new F.L.A.M.E.S campaign.
F.L.A.M.E.S stands for Flu-like symptoms, Loss of consciousness, Acute headaches, Memory problems, Emotional or behavioural changes, and Seizures – designed to help the public recognise early warning signs.
"Of course lots of people experience these symptoms in isolation, but collectively when these symptoms came together this might suggest there’s something neurological going on and indicate that people should seek urgent medical attention," Dr Easton highlighted.
Burton's extreme, aggressive agitation initially prevented doctors from treating her, leading to a medically induced coma. She received Rituximab, a second-line immunotherapy, after numerous plasma exchanges proved ineffective.
"I still have some things that I struggle with, such as my memory and fatigue, but ultimately, I don’t have any lasting physical damages – which I know some people aren’t so lucky in that area – so I feel privileged and lucky," she reflected.
Her lifelong passion for rugby, unwavering family support, and sheer stubbornness were crucial to her return to international rugby, culminating in her representing England at the Paris Olympic Games in 2024.
"The doctors said to me they weren’t sure if I’d ever be able to rugby play again, but one thing about me is that I’m stubborn," Burton stated. "I just had the attitude of ‘let’s just go at it’."
She recalled doing bicep curls with dumbbells in the physio room shortly after treatment, surprising staff who nonetheless didn't stop her.
Rugby, she explained, is a deep family bond. "Playing rugby is just the place where I’ve always felt like me," she said, adding that if she couldn't play, she'd coach. Her friendships within the sport have also been fundamental to her recovery.
"None of the girls I’ve met at rugby treat me any differently, and that’s the thing that I love the most about them," Burton shared. "To them I’m not an encephalitis survivor, I’m not a World Cup winner, I’m not an Olympian, I’m just Abi. They also remind me that sometimes I need to be a bit kinder to myself."
The traumatic events have given her a profound new perspective.
"If I wasn’t selected for the Tokyo Olympics, that would have crushed me. But after everything that happened afterwards, I remember that when it got to the Paris Olympics in 2024, I just thought, I don’t get selected, it’s OK," she explained.
"I’m still competitive, don’t get me wrong, but I also now know that selection doesn’t define me. It’s not the be-all and end-all."
Burton concluded: "The way that I look at life now is you can’t take anything for granted. You never know which game is going to be your last, so you’ve got to go out and enjoy the moment for what it is."
For more information on the F.L.A.M.E.S campaign, visit Encephalitis International’s website.
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