A young woman suffered agonising pain for seven years and was bed bound for 18 months – due to an eye parasite.
Skye Wheeler, 21, was just 14 when she came home from a dance class with a headache – but the pain never went away.
Instead it got worse, and soon it was so bad that she was left ‘rocking in agony’, was too weak to climb the stairs, and ended up bed-bound.
But now it has been discovered that she has a rare eye infection called Acanthamoeba Keratitis, which was triggered by a parasite that burrowed into her eye.
Skye, from Camborne, Cornwall, said: “My body does not make enough collagen and that has resulted in the ligaments in my neck and spine becoming loose and unable to spring back like an elastic band.
“This has led to them not being able to support and protect my brainstem and spinal cord.
“As a result, the weight of my head is slowly sinking onto my neck, compressing my brainstem.”
Skye needs an operation in September to make her head, neck and spinal junction stable, and without it her symptoms will worsen to the point where she may die.
The pharmacy technician continued: “Surgery is the only proven treatment for advanced cases like mine and should stop the neurological compression and damage.
“The operation and associated medical costs come to £40,000 so I’ve started a JustGiving page in the hope that enough money can be raised for me to go ahead.
“It really will change my life.”
So far 258 people have donated just over £6000 towards the required £40,000.
For more information and to donate, visit https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/skye-wheeler-1