Sophie Ella shares story of nearly dying from COVID Encephalitis
Sophie Ella has bravely shared her struggle with a potentially fatal brain condition ahead of World Encephalitis Day.Encephalitis is a severe inflammation of the brain, typically triggered by viral infections and frequently life-threatening. Some individuals recover from the condition within weeks, whilst others suffer long-term, life-altering, or deadly complications.The 22 year old social media sensation, diagnosed with Encephalitis in 2020, boasts over 100k followers across her TikTok and Instagram accounts, where she regularly shares makeup and fashion content.She initially thought the symptoms that began that April were merely a cold or flu.Speaking to Kieran Cuddihy on RTÉ Radio 1's Liveline, Sophie's mum, Celine, revealed more about her daughter's diagnosis. She said: "I thought 'oh, it's just some sort of a viral infection'. It started to get progressively worse as the week went on. She started walking into doors, and didn't know her name. I brought her straight up to the hospital, they were going to keep her overnight. I was to go home because the hospital was in lockdown.", reports RSVP Live."It's an infection on the brain caused by a virus. But because COVID had never been around before, they didn't know that COVID could cause an infection on the brain. Sophie was the first person to get it in Ireland."I didn't get back in [to the hospital] for four weeks because she was in a lockdown unit. It was very touch and go. Getting the phone call then to say 'we don't think she's going to make it, you can come.'".Celine also revealed how Sophie, upon regaining consciousness without her family present, believed they had all perished: "She actually thought that we were all gone. When she came around, and we weren't there, she thought that we had all died."Sophie also described her inability to speak or move after awakening: "I couldn't talk, but I thought I was talking. So I didn't think there was anything happening until I was in a ward with people, then I knew."I think what was good is like when I was walking, it didn't feel like I wasn't walking for that long, because the nurses were very encouraging, and my dad, when he would visit, he would throw a ball, and he'd be encouraging."Today, nearly six years on, Sophie says she embraces each moment fully: "I have a little quote that 'I live life to the fullest', and I just try and be as positive as I can most days."Want to see more of the stories you love from Dublin Live? Making us your preferred source on Google means you’ll get more of our exclusives, top stories and must-read content straight away. To add Dublin Live as a preferred source, simply click here.
