Wigan student aims to lift the lid on invisible illness

Emily Richardson is an engineering degree apprentice employed by Sellafield and studying at Wigan & Leigh College.

She was diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) at the age of 15.

Eighteen-year-old Emily experiences seizures, motor issues, pain, fatigue and spasms, which can to varying degrees affect her ability to walk and speak.

Emily is keen to improve people’s understanding of the condition, which has been referred to as “the black hole of neurology” as it is so often neglected and misunderstood.

The disorder affects how the brain communicates with the body, with symptoms that have led to Emily using a wheelchair for the last two months.

Regular vlogger Emily has set up a website, Facebook and Instagram pages called Life as a Sunflower, to shed light on FND, set up a support group and share its impact on herself and fellow sufferers.

“I want to show the good and bad side of the disorder,” she said.

“You don’t have to be defined by your disability, but we do need to talk about it, especially on social media, where it often seems like we all live perfect lives.”

Wigan and Leigh College has been supporting Emily with her studies to make sure that she doesn’t fall behind, despite her health issues.

Support includes providing a safe, dark room for her to access if she has seizures or needs to sleep, providing specialist safety goggles to prevent migraines, flexibility in terms of assignment deadlines and class times, reducing the amount of long days spent in college.

Head of Engineering Phil Collier added: “Emily is an inspiration to us all. She is so positive and hard working. She never seems to let her condition get her down.”