A 31-year-old former criminal justice student from Florida has claimed a traumatic car accident may have caused her stiff person syndrome – the life-ruining illness suffered by megastar Celine Dion.
Jomana Houssari, a trainee police officer, told DailyMail.com that she had suffered from health problems all her life, but that the accident may have triggered a severe attack that left her disabled for life.
Ms Houssari developed the one-in-a-million condition in 2018 after 20 operations to repair damage caused by the accident.
Stiff person syndrome is a progressive and incurable neurological disorder in which the body attacks nerve cells, causing spasms and stiffness.
The same condition, which affects only 330 Americans and turns them into “human figures”, caused the tragic singer Celine Dion to cancel her world tour last year.
31-year-old Jomana Houssari was diagnosed with stiff person syndrome after a violent seizure that left her unable to move her legs
Singer Celine Dion was also diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome, forcing her to cancel her tour
“Suddenly I couldn’t move my legs,” Ms Houssari said of the paralysis attack that eventually led to her diagnosis. “A few minutes later I was able to function again, but I kept getting cramps in my legs.”
Ms Houssari has suffered from health problems since birth. She was born with a weight of 90 grams and underwent hernia surgery as a newborn.
In her older years, she suffered from various autoimmune and neurological diseases.
Mrs. Houssari was initially diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome, an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the nerves and eventually paralyzes the entire body.
However, the diagnosis did not convince her and she started her own research. She found information about stiff person syndrome and asked her doctor, who had never experienced the condition, to run some tests.
Mrs. Houssari has had medical problems since birth, but her SPS symptoms emerged after she underwent surgery to repair damage she sustained in a serious car accident. After the accident, she had to undergo more than twenty operations
There are two tests that can confirm stiff person syndrome.
The first method looks for specific proteins in the blood that are known to be released in patients with the disease.
The second procedure measures electrical activity in the nerves by inserting a needle directly into the affected muscles.
“It took me a month to wait for the results, but finally it was confirmed that I do have SPS,” Ms Houssari said.
In “stiff person syndrome,” the immune system attacks a protein that helps make a chemical called GABA that regulates motor neurons — the nerves that control movement.
Before her diagnosis, Ms. Houssari studied criminal justice and aspired to become a police officer
Low levels of GABA cause nerves to constantly fire, resulting in spasms and stiffness.
The cramps can be severe enough to cause people to fall over or cause problems with walking and other disabilities. The disease also affects functions such as blood flow, so it can be fatal in rare cases.
Mrs. Houssari is just one of 330 Americans with stiff person syndrome. When she was first diagnosed, her doctor had never experienced this disease
“Getting the diagnosis was a relief, but thinking about the future is quite scary,” Ms Houssari said.
“Right now my symptoms include muscle spasms all over my body. When these episodes occur, I become a human statue and feel stiffness in my chest, face, arms, legs and back.”
“I also suffered from slurred speech, memory problems, occasional bouts of laughter followed by fainting, general weakness, tingling in the head and body and insomnia.”
Sometimes her convulsions resulted in broken bones.
These symptoms forced her to abandon her studies and deprived her of what most would consider a “normal” life.
Treating her condition requires a strict routine of infusions every three weeks, twice-daily doses of baclofen to relieve muscle spasms, potassium tablets, thyroid medication and essential vitamins.
Ms Houssari fears her condition will one day require her to use a wheelchair, but she says she is determined to make the most of the time she has left.
“I face challenges in almost every aspect of my life,” she said, “but I am determined not to give up.”
“Every little step forward gives me an incredible sense of accomplishment.” I have achieved things that I would never have thought possible at the beginning of my disability.”
“I cherish every moment, whether I’m sitting by the pool watching scary movies on Netflix or, on the days I have the energy, taking a walk on the beach and collecting shells along the way.”
Doctors told me. Houssari said that her condition will worsen and she will eventually need to use a wheelchair.
“I dread the day when I end up in a wheelchair,” she said. “Until then, I’m committed to making the most of the time I have left and raising awareness for SPS by sharing my story.”
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
