Thread by @ludawinthesky

Today is the most important day of my year, #WorldEncephalitisDay 2021. #Red4WED
Encephalitis is the rare brain disease I had age 20, which was misdiagnosed as being a mental breakdown, left to worsen for 3 months in a psychiatric ward and ultimately led to me becoming (1/9)

permanently disabled, both visibly and invisibly.

It may be hard to imagine if you are a newer follower that there was a time just a few years ago that I couldn’t walk, talk, read or write – and by just looking at my pictures on Instagram, you’d probably have no idea that(2/9)

I am living with an acquired brain injury which has completely altered the direction and path of my life. I choose to speak about Encephalitis wherever I can, because I know that despite the fact that there are hundreds of thousands of cases of the disease worldwide per year(3/9)

So many people are still misdiagnosed and around 78% of people would not be able to tell you what Encephalitis is if asked. With death rates in those who suffer from Encephalitis being high, I feel I owe it to those who have lost their lives to use the second chance at life (4/9)

I have been given to spread awareness at every opportunity that I get, to use my platform to do good for the families affected, the survivors and those who work tirelessly to research the disease. On this day, as with every day, I send love to the family members and friends (5/9)

who have lost loved ones to Encephalitis. I send a message of hope and solidarity to my fellow survivors who may feel like they have lost themselves, I promise you, I have been where you are, I saw the darkest years of my life after the illness took hold of me – but you are (6/9)

so loved, and better days are always going to come. I send support to @the_encephalitis_society, for the work that they do day in day out - without your existence I am sure that I would not be where I am today. (7/9

If I or one of my family members had known what Encephalitis was back in 2016, I am sure that I would have been saved from the most traumatic time of my life, and in knowing that anyone can be affected by Encephalitis at any time – this could be someone you love tomorrow. (8/9)

Please, you owe it to yourselves to become aware. @encephalitis #Red4WED (9/9)