A rare medical condition that was originally thought to be a bad bout of food poisoning has left a 27-year-old mum of two from Victoria learning how to walk and talk again.
Mikaela Craven, from Wodonga along the NSW-Victorian border, became suddenly unwell with nausea and vomiting in December.
She was given medication to ease symptoms but presented to the Albury Base Hospital when her condition continued to deteriorate.
"Within the space of two to three days she was completely incapacitated," Ms Craven's mother, Sandra Duoma, said.
"[She was] disorientated, she couldn't talk, she couldn't walk. It was just really quick."
On her oldest son's fourth birthday, Ms Craven was admitted to Albury Base Hospital before being transferred to the Royal Melbourne Hospital, where she underwent a series of tests.
Rare disorder
A few weeks later, Ms Craven was diagnosed with a rare disorder known as acute cerebellitis (AC), a condition that causes swelling of the brain and spine.
AC is more commonly reported in children and little is known about the clinical characteristics and outcomes in adults.
It is not known how Ms Craven developed the disorder but she is now receiving treatment at a rehabilitation facility in Melbourne, learning how to walk and talk again.
"She hasn't been able to walk, talk, shower or feed herself since this began," Ms Duoma said.
"She does a lot of rehab every day to build up her strength and learn all those skills again."
Ms Duoma, who also lives in Wodonga, has been by her daughter's bedside every step of the way, as well as Ms Craven's partner Brad and their two children, aged four and nine months.
Financial pressure
With Ms Craven in hospital, the young family has been reduced to living off one wage and the pressures are building.
Mr Craven has been unable to work full-time since his wife was admitted to hospital, juggling his two young children and being there for his partner.
"We were doing a week on, week off. So one week, he'd stay at home and look after the kids, then he'd come to Melbourne, and I'd go back and look after the kids," Ms Duoma said.
"It got to the point where he had to stay home to do some work.
"He's only an apprentice plumber and he hasn't been able to work full-time to get money to come in so it has been an extremely difficult time."
Fortunately, Ms Duoma has flexibility with her work and has been able to work remotely, but she has had to find accommodation in Melbourne, which is an ongoing cost.
"We're still looking at another, possibly three-and-a-half, four weeks down here, paying for accommodation," she said.
She had the family also had to wear the cost of fuel travelling to and from Melbourne, as well as medical bills and the ongoing costs of Ms Craven's recovery.
The local community has rallied to support the family, with two fundraising events organised for the coming weeks.
The family has also set up an online fundraiser to help with expenses.
Ms Duoma said there was no date for Ms Craven's and they were still unsure if she would make a full recovery.
It is the beginning of a long journey for the regional family, but they remain hopeful.
