A woman in Australia suffers from an extremely rare condition that causes her to collapse and become paralyzed every time she hears a loud noise.
28-year-old Soyla Echeverria falls to the ground up to 25 times a day, leaving her completely paralyzed for as long as five hours at a time.
At 19, Echeverria was diagnosed with a rare condition called Cataplexy, which causes random muscle weakness, triggered by strong emotions and sudden sounds, The Daily Mail reported.
So, what can trigger an episode for Echeverria? Anything as small as a door slamming shut, a police siren, a train passing by, or even a plate breaking.
Although she’s been suffering from this bizarre condition for the last nine years, doctors have not been able to cure Echeverria or stop her episodes from getting worse.
“The fear that something is going to happen to me is constantly there,” she said. “I could collapse in the middle of the street and get hit by a car. Anything could happen.”
Echeverria first started experiencing the terrifying symptoms of Cataplexy at 16, but doctors initially chalked up her behavior to a teenager’s cry for attention.
“I tried to tell people that it was something real and that I really did have something wrong with me,” she said. “I felt a bit ridiculous and kept thinking, 'Why am I falling over all the time? Am I just a bit clumsy?' It just didn't feel right, yet people didn't take me seriously.”
Before she was diagnosed, Echeverria typically suffered an episode every single day, but the medication she’s on now has made the condition a little more manageable.
Because she still collapses about 10 to 15 times a day, Echeverria must be chaperoned everywhere she goes.
“I just want to live my life again,” she said. “The medication does make things a lot better, but it's still a real challenge.”
