Cambridgeshire rehab facility helps mum-of-three return home for Mother's Day

A mother-of-three who was in an induced coma for eight days after suffering one of the world’s rarest neurological conditions has recovered in time to be home for Mother’s Day.

Hayley Trotman, 44, a primary school teacher from Orton Brimbles, Peterborough, suffered from a rare and life-threatening condition called Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), which affects the nerves.

GBS is so rare, it is not fully understood why the immune system mistakenly attacks and damages the nerves, but the condition often happens after an infection. In Ms Trotman’s case, it is believed to have been caused by a common cold she had last August.

The syndrome left her in excruciating pain and unable to move any part of her body, except a couple of fingers.

Before Ms Trotman was admitted to Askham Village Community Ltd, home to Askham Rehab, after spending three months in an intensive care unit (ICU) where she had stopped breathing twice and had to be mechanically ventilated with a tracheostomy.

Due to the severity of her condition, Ms Trotman required specialist treatment including clinical psychology, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and speech and language therapy.

Sara Neaves, clinical lead and outpatients service manager at Askham Rehab, said: “When Hayley first came to Askham, there were a lot of issues around her pain. Just pulling back her bedsheets caused extreme pain, and this required a lot of input from our medical and clinical psychology teams to help stabilise. I remember Hayley saying to me, ‘I’m so scared I will never be able to walk again’. I promised her she would, but we knew it was going to be a long road to recovery.”

Once her pain had stabilised, Hayley was much more engaged and able to make use of robotics and sensor assisted technology, which helped Ms Trotman to challenge her lower and upper limbs in strength, movement, accuracy, and coordination as well as using robotics and a sensor-based device for hand therapy.

Ms Trotman said: “I was terrified when I came out of ICU but upon my arrival to Askham, I was reassured everything was going to be okay and I would return home to my family. My most memorable milestone was when I first used the rollator to walk. I thought I was going to hit the deck, but the team at Askham encouraged me to do it and I ended up walking down the corridor – it was fantastic. They even videoed the moment and sent it to my husband and children.

“During my stay, I started a journal so I could reflect on my journey and note my progress. Each day, I wrote down advice from the team and used it as motivation. Their words helped me move forward and have stayed with me to this day. I’ve been supported in every step of my journey and will be forever grateful for everything the team at Askham did for me.”

Ms Trotman was soon able to live independently in a self-contained, fully adapted onsite apartment where she found her confidence to start cooking and walking.

The mother of three will be arriving home to her children and husband on 11 March in time for Mother’s Day.

Ms Neaves added: “From someone who could only move their fingers when they first arrived, Hayley has progressed incredibly well. Askham’s ethos is all about empowering and caring for the individual, making their journey very much patient-centred. The environment here is friendly and open – we could tap into Hayley’s hobby of being out in the garden which helped lift her mood and fully engaged her in the rehab process.”

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