A mum who believed she had flu was subsequently diagnosed with a rare illness that left her "forgetting how to walk." Vicki Purdey, 37, started experiencing "flu-like" symptoms in March 2024 - including a fever, severe headaches, muscle aches and light sensitivity - and thought she simply had a "seasonal illness."

However, over a 72-hour period, her condition rapidly deteriorated to vomiting and migraines, and she was admitted to Poole Hospital on 1 April, where tests and a lumbar puncture confirmed viral meningitis. Following a week in hospital, Vicki was discharged but readmitted on 15 April with recurrent meningitis.

Yet by then, she had "completely forgotten how to walk." Doctors subsequently explained she had functional neurological disorder (FND) - triggered by the meningitis disrupting brain signals - which caused her to "lose most use" of her legs, leaving her virtually housebound for nearly a year.

Despite undergoing various therapies, Vicki still has "little sensation" in her legs and continues to depend on a wheelchair if she wants to go out - which remains a "shock" to the mum who loves hiking with husband, Ian, 39. Vicki now wants to raise awareness about FND to "help find treatment."

Mum-of-two, Vicki, who works part-time, from Wimborne, Dorset, said: "I was fit and well and at the height of my life. So when I first started feeling unwell, I thought it was just the flu. Never did I think it would be meningitis."

She added: "Many people think it's an illness that only affects babies and young persons - but that's not the case. It had me nearly at death's door, and there are times when I can't be the mum or wife I want to be. FND has impacted my ability to coordinate and walk and it needs more awareness and resources."

Vicki believed she caught the deadly disease after bringing her youngest, Freddie, six, to hospital a week earlier. Vicki, who initially shared her account with Talk To The Press, said: "My boy was feeling unwell and I was sat in A&E. It seemed like the only place where I would have been exposed and my symptoms soon started later."

Vicki initially assumed her headaches and muscle aches were indicators of flu. However, it wasn't until her mum, Julie, 75, discovered she was being sick and slurring her speech during a telephone conversation three days later in March 2024 that she rang 999.

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Vicki was instructed to touch her chin to her chest, but when she couldn't manage it, she was rushed by ambulance to Poole Hospital. A lumbar puncture examination confirmed she had viral meningitis.

"I remember waking up with a headache and some pains and not thinking much of them," she said. "I honestly thought it was just the flu and the symptoms would subside. But over a few days, I just felt worse and, thankfully, my mum was there to call the ambulance."

She added: "At the hospital, I was pumped with antibiotics as my body was somewhat shutting down. But when I heard meningitis, the words hit me like a train."

During her hospital stay, Vicki revealed that there were a "few signs" her body wasn't fully recovering. "I remember walking to the loo and I just lost the coordination to walk," she shared.

"It was the oddest thing and doctors chalked it up to being bedridden for so long. On top of this, I also developed short-term memory loss and there was a time where I couldn't recognise my neighbour."

Vicki was released from hospital after a week, but was readmitted on 15 April when she experienced the "same symptoms again" - a condition known as recurrent meningitis - and by this stage, the disease had impacted the neurological pathways in her brain to such an extent that she "lost most use" of her legs.

Further examinations confirmed she had FND - a condition triggered by the meningitis where the brain struggles to send and receive signals correctly - which can lead to a host of problems, including loss of sensation and touch in the body.

Vicki was discharged from hospital a second time four days later and was told her mobility might return within a few weeks. However, two years on, she remains unable to walk and heavily relies on a wheelchair and assistance to move about.

"I essentially lost sensation from the waist down and my independence took a severe hit," Vicki said. "I was virtually housebound for a year.

"I relied on a wheelchair to get around and I missed out on being a mum and a wife. It was incredibly isolating. I couldn't go out without someone taking me out or enjoy the outdoors like I used to. And I didn't recover like doctors said I would."

Vicki, who is fighting desperately to regain her health, regularly attends physiotherapy sessions and carries out exercises to improve mobility.

However, as time has passed, the FND has also left Vicky battling brain fog and frequent eye spasms - approximately 20 times daily - which requires regular Botox treatment from the NHS - whilst her hip sockets are "back to front," rotating her upper body 180 degrees.

In November 2024, she contacted the charity Meningitis Now, which helped fund an electric wheelchair. Vicki said the wheelchair means she can "now be a mum again" to her children, Lara, 16, and Freddie, six.

"I still have little sensation in my legs and rely on my wheelchair," she said. "I suffer with flare-ups occasionally and it means I need to re-learn how to walk in a new way each time. It's a battle, but I am learning more about myself and the support from friends and family has been great."

She added: "There is still a long way to go with research for FND. Not many people know about it and we need to fight for it to be a priority.

"It affects so many people and it continues to rise. The resources are limited and everywhere is oversubscribed. I've had a really rubbish past couple of years, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Even though I am trying my hardest to recover.

"I don't think I ever will but I hope my story can help others to become more aware of the symptoms for meningitis and FND. You are not alone."