Mystery condition leaves Clare woman Hayley Penna, 23, paralysed with stutter

It started with a virus, now this 23-year-old SA woman is bed-bound and doctors investigating what’s caused her life-altering health condition.

Hayley Penna is living with a range of chronic illnesses and she said doctors are struggling to discover what is wrong. Picture: Supplied

A mysterious neurological condition has suddenly left SA woman Hayley Penna partially paralysed with a speech impairment after she contracted a virus earlier this year.

The 23-year-old has been left bed-bound following the illness with doctors still investigating, she said.

“(It’s) absolutely overwhelming,” the Clare woman said.

“I haven’t allowed myself to feel sad surrounding this all until the last few days, but (I’ve) finally (given) myself permission to be scared and sad.”

Hayley is bed bound while doctors are continuing to investigate. Picture: Supplied

Hayley is suffering with partial paralysis. Picture: Supplied

In early January, when Ms Penna woke up with a stutter, chronic fatigue, muscle aches and spasms she admitted herself to Clare hospital.

Later, she was discharged but in the week that followed she would sleep for up to 20 hours a day.

When she was awake she would spend the day in agonising pain, enduring joint locking and constant vomiting.

“A facial drop and severe stutter left me with no choice but to return to hospital,” she said.

“I would later develop worsening symptoms, seize in the ambulance, and be transferred for intensive support in Adelaide (at Lyell McEwin Hospital).

“A simple virus to some, has left me with partial paralysis, incontinence, seizures and spasms, chronic pain and inflammation and a vast array of other debilitating symptoms which now leave me bound to my hospital bed once again.”

Hayley said she developed these symptoms after contracting a virus. Picture: Supplied

Hayley said she was told to leave school while she was battle chronic pain. Picture: Supplied

This isn’t the first time Ms Penna has been in chronic pain.

When she was 15, Ms Penna was involved in a sporting collision which left her with left side hemiplegia, seizures and various other debilitating symptoms.

“I returned to my home town of Ceduna, wheelchair bound and (was) told by (my) senior school leader ‘it would be easier for everyone if I were to just quit school’ rather than accommodate my needs,” she said.

“But if I learnt anything from this journey, it was I was never going to listen to those who said, ‘you can’t’.

“It took my two years, but I completed my high school certificate with an ATAR of 96.65.”

Hayley said outside her illness she hasn’t been able to discover who she is. Picture: Supplied

Hayley Penna lives with anorexia nervosa, anxiety, OCD and autism. Picture: Supplied

After school, Ms Penna worked in the health industry while suffering with a range of gastrointestinal and cardiovascular issues she said were dismissed as anxiety.

“My mental health took a significant toll from the trauma of navigating these experiences and the system and to this day I remain fighting a battle with severe and enduring anorexia nervosa, anxiety, OCD and a newly-discovered autism diagnosis,” she said.

Now, she’s facing this unknown neurological auto-immune response.

“At 23, I share the celebratory experiences of witnessing friends buy houses, dream jobs, get married, travel and begin to start their families,” she said.

“But the truth is I haven’t even had the time outside of illness to discover who I want to be, where I want to be, if I am even going to be here.”

Ms Penna, once stabilised will be transferred to another hospital for intensive inpatient rehabilitation.

If you’d like to donate to Ms Penna, you can here.

Originally published as Mystery condition leaves Clare woman Hayley Penna, 23, paralysed with stutter