A HOSPITAL technician with a rare neurological condition has started a campaign to raise money for life-changing treatment after being denied NHS funding.

Claire Brown, 27, said she was the fittest she had ever been when bending down one morning to pick up a balloon.

That was in October 2014, and for the last year her life has been complete agony as she battles spinal damage and Functional Neurological Disorder (FND).

Now she has started a campaign to raise £50,000 to spend 15-weeks at Glenside, a rehabilitation centre in South Newton which provides specialist treatment for people with brain injuries.

Claire hopes that it will allow her to return to some kind of normality after spending the last year-and-a-half confined to her house.

“My condition needs to be treated as soon as possible,” she said.

“When I try to walk my whole body shakes and I have to use two crutches to get around the house. I can’t sit for very long and when I lay down my muscles jerk. Plus my memory is also really bad.

"It is hard to believe because nobody has heard of it.”

FND is a rare condition caused by interference between bodily functions and the brain.

This causes abnormalities between planning a movement and carrying it out.

Claire used to work at Salisbury Hospital as a screening technician and applied to the Wiltshire Clinical Commission Group (CCG) for funding.

However, after a seven week wait the CCG wrote to her to say that she didn’t have enough evidence to support her case.

“As you can imagine again I was extremely upset — as well as all family and friends — as it felt as though nobody was able to help me,” she said.

Since launching an online campaign last week people have pledged more than £4,000 while others have organised events (see page 91).

“This is my last resort and anybody that knows me will know that I hate asking people for help,” she added.

For more information and to donate visit helpclaire.com.

When asked for a response Wiltshire CCG said it did not comment on individual cases.