Abi Burton: GB rugby sevens Olympian wrongly sectioned and spent 25 days in coma as a result of immune dysfunction

Nice Britain rugby sevens Olympian Abi Burton says she spent 25 days in a coma and was wrongly sectioned for 26 days with an immune dysfunction.

Burton has additionally needed to study to stroll and discuss once more, suffered seizures and her behaviour grew to become violent.

“I used to be horrendously aggressive – I even broke a number of the bannisters on the steps,” she instructed the Daily Telegraph.

Autoimmune encephalitis happens when the physique’s immune system mistakenly assaults the mind and will be wrongly confused with psychological sickness.

“My antibodies have been attacking my mind as a result of they thought my mind was in hassle, however my mind wasn’t in hassle,” Burton added.

“Then the antibodies in my mind have been attacking them again, which principally made my mind swell and brought on all the things, all of the behaviour. They (the medical professionals) got here to the conclusion that I used to be having a psychotic breakdown.

“They mentioned to my mum and pop, ‘You both take her to Fieldhead, which is a psychiatric hospital, or we’ll take her’. My mum and pop did not know what to do. I used to be so poorly. They might see me just for an hour a day – some days they weren’t allowed to see me in any respect.”

Burton’s situation, which started in Could final 12 months, didn’t enhance till a member of employees introduced ahead the illness as a potential trigger, two-and-a-half weeks after she was admitted to the hospital in Wakefield.

When she was identified, Burton was moved to a unique hospital and her household made the tough resolution to have their daughter positioned in a coma so she may obtain plasma exchanges. They have been additionally instructed she may endure mind injury.

“Once I was within the coma, I had pneumonia twice,” says Leeds-born Burton, who has no reminiscence of her time from Could to August 2022. “It was horrible for my household not figuring out how I might be once I awoke.”

‘The street to restoration’

Having missed each the Commonwealth Video games and Sevens World Cup, the England worldwide says she is eager to return to rugby as quickly as potential and concentrating on the Paris Olympics in 2024.

“I’m nonetheless on the street to restoration, with the intention to play worldwide rugby once more this 12 months,” she mentioned on Instagram.

“My misdiagnosis is one thing I by no means wish to occur to anybody ever once more. I simply can’t wait till we get the chance on the subsequent Olympics – particularly in spite of everything this.

“My first residence Commonwealth Video games was taken away from me, my first World Cup taken away from me. Long run, I would like us to go and win gold in Paris.”