A woman whose life has been 'unrecognisable' since contracting Covid-19 has shared her powerful story.

Before she caught Covid-19, Emilie Hayman, 32, from Lliswerry, was like any other healthy woman.

Her health, however, rapidly declined in 2022, which she suspects was due to the virus.

At the time, Emilie was pregnant with her son Mikey, and she believes doctors were hesitant to run tests throughout the pregnancy, something she says ultimately contributed to her ongoing health struggles.

'My life since Covid is unrecognisable' Mum shares health scare(Image: Emilie Hayman)

Emilie told the Argus: "My life since Covid is unrecognisable, I wouldn't know where to begin.

"I knew I wasn't right. I'd been pregnant a few times before. When you know, you know. I was told to buy a pulse oximeter, sent to a lung clinic, and told everything was okay.

"New symptoms were popping up all the time. I felt such a burden for calling the GP about everything. I must have been 15 or more times about different symptoms, each time ignoring that they were related. I wasn't taken seriously until I developed a foot drop and required a walking stick."

Emilie undergoing physiotherapy for FND(Image: Emilie Hayman)

She added: "I couldn't walk far or for long. I was so easily fatigued. People kept saying to me, 'That's pregnancy,' but I had two children. This was not just pregnancy."

Only recently, this year, Emilie was diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND).

FND is a condition in which people experience neurological symptoms -- such as weakness, movement difficulties, or seizures -- caused by abnormal functioning of the brain and nerves.

The effects can be long-lasting, varying in severity from person to person.

Emilie after receiving a FND diagnosis(Image: Emilie Hayman)

Emilie described her symptoms: "For some, their first symptom might be something like a stroke. For others, it could look like epilepsy. For me, it was nerve pain, exhaustion, and difficulty walking."

Alongside Emilie's health complications, her baby Mikey also faced difficulties during the first few days of his life.

Emilie explained: "Shortly after delivery, I couldn't stop a tremor, mainly on my right side. I thought it was just adrenaline until I held my newborn and realised, he was hot. He was rushed to the NICU.

"Being wheeled onto the maternity unit with nothing in my arms but emptiness and worry was the worst feeling of my life.

"Eventually, they brought him into my room. He was beautiful and dressed in his little suit, and I didn't even notice the cannula at first. He had an infection and spent five days on IV antibiotics, staying with me while NICU nurses visited.

"He was deeply unsettled and cried almost constantly. The nurses and midwives tried to soothe him while I ate. They suggested formula, thinking he wasn't getting enough milk, and I trusted them."

Baby Mikey who was born severely underweight and with an infection(Image: Emilie Hayman)

The problems sadly carried on at home.

Emilie said: "At home, he continued to screech constantly and failed to gain weight consistently over three months. Our health visitor insisted he had a milk intolerance. After three different milks, he still struggled to feed and vomited frequently.

"We went to The Grange, where he was fitted with a feeding tube. After three days, he didn't lose weight and was discharged, though I knew the problems would continue.

"He was diagnosed with salt-wasting congenital adrenal hyperplasia, similar to Addison's disease."

Baby Mikey who was born severely underweight and with an infection(Image: Emilie Hayman)

Thankfully, Mikey's health has improved, and Emilie is now passionate about advocating for health awareness.

She runs the TikTok account 'Chronically Chaotic,' where she documents life with FND and uses it as a platform for education.

She has the following advice to parents and people with chronic illnesses.

She said: "I have so many messages. To parents -- if you feel something's not right, you're right. Keep advocating. Parents know their children better than anyone.

"To others with chronic illness, keep fighting. Don't let people dismiss you and gaslight you into believing that all you need is rest."