I woke up unable to walk or talk after cost of living stress triggered rare neurological condition

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com 
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Visit Shots! now
Footage documents Danni Cooper’s recovery after she woke up unable to walk or talk and was diagnosed with a rare neurological condition a month later - with doctors believing financial stress, triggered by the cost of living crisis, was to blame for her ''out of the blue'' symptoms.

A 21-year-old woman with money worries was left unable to walk or talk after the stress triggered a rare neurological condition.

Danni Cooper had been feeling anxious about her finances for months before she lost the use of her legs and was rushed to hospital.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In April 2024, on arriving home from work, Danni, who had suffered from migraines since she was young, felt dizzy but she put her symptoms down to hunger. However, she found herself struggling to walk to the kitchen and called her sister Mollie. They went straight to A&E where Danni claims her symptoms were dismissed as a ‘migraine’ made worse by ‘being on her period’.

Danni after her diagnosis on a day out.Danni after her diagnosis on a day out.
Danni after her diagnosis on a day out. | Danni Cooper / SWNS

The next morning, Danni woke-up having lost the ability to walk or talk. Fearing a stroke, she went back to hospital but all her scans came back clear. After a month on a ward, Danni was diagnosed with functional neurological disorder (FND) - a condition that causes problems with the brain sending and receiving information.

Doctors who treated her believed financial stress, triggered by the cost of living crisis, was to blame for her ''out of the blue'' symptoms.

Danni’s speech returned after nearly a week, but she still struggles to walk and needs a wheelchair for long distances. She can no longer work due to her condition and had to move house to a more accessible building.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Danni, a former support worker, from Wakefield in Yorkshire, said: "I had been worrying for a long time about money. I was having to choose between food or petrol in order to get to work - the cost of living crisis hit me hard. I fell into a deep depression at one point, crying every day and it most likely triggered the condition. 

“FND is like when a computer has too many tabs open, and it crashes. My brain basically shut down and stopped communicating with my body. My life changed overnight.

“A lot of doctors still don’t know what FND is. It’s a lesser-known condition but I hope I can raise awareness.”

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.

News you can trust since 1855
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice