A TEENAGE girl who felt pins and needles in her legs was left paralysed after suffering a “freak accident”.
Nancy Jubb, 13, from Bath, was lying in bed when she felt a “burning sensation” in her lower body and was rushed to hospital on February 20.
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Doctors believed she had an inflamed spinal cord, but later realised Nancy had suffered a spinal stroke which cut off the blood supply to some of her nerves.
Mum Katherine said there’s still uncertainty around the medical episode – but she praised her daughter’s bravery and positive mindset as they navigate moving forward.
She told Somerset Live: “It’s obviously still a massive shock. It came completely out of the blue.
“If there had been a specific event that led to Nancy losing feeling in her legs, I think it would have been easier to comprehend.
“She was lying down in bed and she got pins and needles in her legs, then a burning sensation.
“There wasn’t a lot of pain and at the time we thought it was just a trapped nerve but it slowly got worse over about six hours and she was told not to move.”
Medical staff suspect it was a “freak accident” or lots of small movements over a period of time might have cut off the blood supply.
Once the nerves die, they don’t ever grow back.
Katherine said: “This means that she is paralysed from the waist down and she is very unlikely to ever regain feeling.
“I have found it hard to stop crying but Nancy is so strong and still smiling despite being on a lot of medication that makes it hard to sleep.”
Nancy has always been keen on her sports, playing netball and cricket while coaching gymnastics and swimming for the Bath Dolphins.
She is now adjusting to using a wheelchair and the family are trying their best to accommodate her needs.
A fundraising page has been set up to help the family with costs towards Nancy’s rehabilitation.
Katherine said: “Going forward, Nancy would like to get an off-road wheelchair so she has more flexibility around where she can go.
“However, everything is so expensive and we want to save some money for things she will need in the future.”