A TikTok influencer is bringing awareness to a rare disorder that causes her to be paralyzed for long periods of time and forget her girlfriend.
Megan Jackson lives in London and regularly creates videos for her over 300,000 followers on TikTok by sharing her life with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), which she was diagnosed with at the age of 17. Jackson could suffer several seizures in a day which are triggered by laughing, anger, or being upset. Her girlfriend has created a system to help Megan remember her by playing “their song,” visiting the place where they first met, and journaling about their relationship to re-read when Megan can’t remember her. Megan’s videos have been watched by over 6 million people worldwide.
“It’s affected everything. I’ve practically no friends because it's isolating. I was bedridden for months because my legs can go for weeks at a time. Because of my memory loss, I forget who people are. I have a girlfriend and I forget her." She continues in the video, "Sometimes it (memory) doesn't come back for a long time. It's stressful. (Sometimes when her memory comes back) I don’t have feelings for her for a long time."
Now Jackson is looking to raise money to pay for private healthcare after she was told it would be eight months until she can see a neurologist. The money will go towards getting a second opinion as well as treatment including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and psychotherapy at St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, in London.
“(TikTok) has given me a purpose, I’m depressed, I can’t work, I can’t drive, I can’t do anything. It’s given me a purpose to get out of bed every day. I’ve got something to do.... I’m on antidepressants to try and keep me going but every day is a struggle. I am not sure how long I can hold on for without help.”
To donate money to Megan, go here and you can watch her videos here.
Photo: Getty