My True Blue Love

Rhiannon thought she’d never find The One…

- Jade Beecroft

Rhiannon Burrows, 20, 

Castlederg,Co Tyrone 

I was sitting in a classroom when it started – a bizarre twitching in my neck.

It was May 2012, I was 15 and studying for GCSEs.

‘Can you see that?’ 

I whispered to a mate.

‘Yeah,’ he hissed back, watching as the muscle in my neck pulsed. ‘Freaky!’

But then it stopped, and we forgot about it.

Only, as the new school year began, I started having funny turns. Walking out of class one morning, I passed out in the doorway. Then, later, I collapsed in assembly.

I woke up with one of my favourite teachers trying to feed me a mint in case I needed a blood-sugar boost.

My mum Nicola, 42, took me to the GP, who put it down to hormones. But, next day, I was at my usual amateur-boxing class and keeled over again.

No control

Mum took me to A&E at South West Acute Hospital.

‘We need to test for epilepsy and a brain tumour,’ a doctor warned us. 

Luckily, both were ruled out. 

But, while I was in hospital, something else unusual began to happen… In the hospital bed, I kept bashing my chin against my shoulder. 

‘Stop it, Rhiannon!’ Mum said. 

But I couldn’t. I kept doing it until my chin bled. It was like I had no control over my body.