CRAMPS in a woman's thumb turned out to be an incurable illness – now she could have just months to live.
Ailsa Malcolm-Hutton, 39, from Davyhulme, Greater Manchester, realised her health may be in trouble when she lost the ability to carry out simple motor tasks with her hands.
But her thumb cramps were just the beginning of a series of mobility problems she began to have.
By the time she was eventually diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) in 2013, Ailsa could no longer use her arm and had been forced to give up her job.
Today she has more than 350 of the disease's symptoms, including chronic fatigue, glitching eyes, constant rashes, kidney stones and nausea.
Each day, she can suffer up to 200 of them at a time.
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MND is an incurable condition that affects the nervous system.
It slowly robs patients of the ability to walk, talk and eat, although every sufferer is different.
Ailsa said: “When the consultant told me I had motor neurone disease (MND) I didn’t even know what it was – only the life expectancy and that I wouldn’t get fixed at all.
“Not only this, but I was going to get much worse. I drove home in a daze after being given a leaflet on MND and was basically told there was nothing they could do.
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“I arrived home and we were having a new boiler fitted and all the gas men were there and I just went straight outside and sat in the rain and cried. I think I stayed there all night."
One of the toughest parts was delivering the news to her six-year-old daughter.
She made a promise to try best to not succumb to the illness.
Ailsa said: “Somehow, I did it and made a pact with her that I wasn’t going to die. That keeps me strong nine years later.”
FIGHT FOR INDEPENDENCY
The mum-of-one now has carers who look after her, feed her, bathe her and give her medication.
She is unable to walk but can watch TV on her own by controlling the Xbox with a finger and a thumb.
Ailsa doctors say she doesn't have a lot of time left, but she's determined to keep fighting long enough to see a cure.
Her carers are fundraising for a special wheelchair which could help give her “freedom and independency she so desperately deserves”.
In a statement they wrote: “All we want is for Ailsa to be able to lead a fulfilling and happy life. Ailsa is a kind, caring and devoted friend, daughter and mother, we all love her so much and want to see her happy.
“Sadly that isn’t possible right now when she is confined to her bed 24hrs a day and can’t enjoy the outdoors, visit places or do the things she loves.
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"We want Ailsa’s life to be full of enrichment and joy as this is what being with her brings to us.”
You can support fundraising efforts for Ailsa here.
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