Described as ‘pain in silence’, by friends and family, young Keisha Almorales who is a twin could have never imagined that her body would be reduced to paralysis and an unresponsive state after being diagnosed with Guillain-Barré Syndrome during the festive Christmas season. Photo: Internet Source

Before the diagnosis, Keisha (Front right) was a hard-working staff at Mi Amor Jewellers and beloved by her twin sister, Ria Almorales (back left) along with community members in Virgin Gorda according to friends. Photo: Provided

Keisha’s best friend Aneya G. Pemberton (right) speaking to Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) said Keisha can completely recover from the condition with lots of therapy and go back to having a normal life. Photo: Provided

“Imagine how terrifying it is to be trapped in a paralysed body, not able to speak or breathe on your own but your mind is fully aware of everything, and it all happens within one week,” Marlon Almorales said in a description of his sister’s plight in a now growing GoFundMe to raise funds for the young woman.

Persons can recover from disease 

The good news, according to Keisha’s best friend Aneya G. Pemberton, speaking to Virgin Islands News Online (VINO), is that Keisha can completely recover from the condition with lots of therapy and eventually return to having a normal life.

Guillain-Barré Syndrome is an autoimmune disorder where a person's own immune system harms their body's nerves. This harm causes muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis.

According to the Mayo Clinic, the exact cause of Guillain-Barre syndrome isn't known; however, the disorder usually appears days or weeks after a respiratory or digestive tract infection. It said rarely, recent surgery or vaccination can trigger Guillain-Barre syndrome.

"There have been cases reported following infection with the Zika virus. Guillain-Barre syndrome may occur after infection with the COVID-19 virus. It's also a rare reaction in those who receive the Johnson & Johnson or AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine," the Mayo Clinic reported.

'Tingling'

Originally from the twin island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Keisha was a hard-working staff at Mi Amor Jewellers and well-loved by community members in Tortola and Virgin Gorda. Her twin sister is Ria Almorales.

According to the GoFundMe on December 18, 2022, Ms Almorales reportedly felt tingles that would eventually lead to her fighting for her life during the Christmas season, 'tingles' that changed her life forever.

“When we spoke to Keisha about it, she was just saying she had little tingles in her finger… she went to the doctor, this was nothing to be alarmed and then after about 3 days, she is limping. She goes into the hospital and then, from limping, she is then literally flat out can’t move her arms, can’t move her arms… like she just can’t move, she's paralysed,” Ms Pemberton told VINO.  

Complete paralysis 

In a matter of 72 hours after the tingling and, although completely cognitive, her body was reduced to a paralysed state with the worse happening, heart failure. 

“But Keisha is a fighter, and by some miracle and with the help of doctors, she was resuscitated and came back. Keisha has been evacuated from the ICU in the British Virgin Islands, flown out, and admitted into the ICU in St Clair’s Hospital of Trinidad and Tobago where she is currently stabilized,” the GoFundMe account detailed.

Family and Friends quickly gathered the funds they had for her air ambulance evacuation and hospital admission, as the hospital made it clear she could only be admitted after a down payment of USD 40,000.00. With the help of her insurance, her co-payment came to a staggering sum of $27,750.00.

“We never thought we would be in a situation so grave that instead of offering our help here, we would be pleading to you, the reader, to help the kindest, warmest daughter, twin sister, and friend you could ever meet. Guillain Barre Syndrome is a very rare autoimmune disease but with quick and proper treatment patients have a full chance at recovery,” her brother stated.  

The family stated that while the disease works incredibly fast, the recovery is extremely slow and doctors are estimating she will have to be kept in the ICU for the next month and that the rest of the treatment/recovery process will take up to 6-12 months.

Go-fund-me to raise funds 

“The hospital continues to make it clear that treatment can only continue when co-payments are made first and as you can see we are only at the beginning of an intensively long and expensive journey.”

The family is estimating that medical bills will be averaged at about $8000-$12,000 a month for the next 12 months, the next co-payment having to be accumulated by January 9, 2023.

So far, the GoFundMe has raised just over $27,000 and persons looking to donate can do so via the GoFundMe link here.

Ms Pemberton has also indicated that for persons unable to donate via the GoFundMe platform, they can visit or call Mi Amor Jewellers where a box would be set up to accept donations, along with details on how to make direct deposits to Keisha's bank account.