Scots woman in coma after covid wakes 'unable to walk or talk'

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A Scots woman who was placed in an induced coma after catching Covid was left "unable to walk or talk".

In August 2021, 42-year-old Ania Turska became so critically ill that she had to be put on a ventilator. After being placed into a coma, she woke up being "unable to move any part of her body".

Before contracting the virus, Ania was "perfectly functioning" and had no pre-existing illnesses, according to her friend Anna Starobrat, who has known her since 2015. Ania, a Polish immigrant to Edinburgh, now needs "intensive therapy" to restore her functions.

Speaking to Edinburgh Live, Anna said: "She's had an incredibly challenging journey. She was living by herself when she got Covid. She end up in hospital her condition was so critical that they put her on a ventilator before she was put into a medically induced coma.

"When she finally regained consciousness, she was diagnosed with severe polyneuropathy. Ania was unable to move any part of her body. Since then, she's been fighting tirelessly to regain her health. Her mum has been by her side since day one, and now they're living together so she can support her."

Three years on, Ania, who lives in Leith, is now learning how to speak again and breath on her own - though continues to need oxygen support at night.

Anna continue: "More than three years have passed, and Ania still faces significant daily challenges. While she has recently begun breathing on her own during the day, she continues to need oxygen support at night. Despite her strength and determination, she remains unable to move her arms or legs independently.

"Intensive rehabilitation is her only chance to rebuild her muscle strength, relearn basic movements, and regain a degree of independence. She's started moving her legs very slowly, but she's not able to walk. She is speaking now, both languages, but it's difficult to understand her because she doesn't have much control of those muscles. You need to be very focused when she is talking."

Those around Ania have launched a fundraiser in hopes of providing her with the care she needs to get back to her usual self. Anna told us: "We believe that a three-month stay in a specialised rehabilitation centre in Poland could give Ania access to the personalised, intensive therapy she so urgently needs.

"This program would provide her with a team of dedicated specialists, including a neurologist, physiotherapist, psychologist, and speech therapist, who would work together to give her the best possible chance of progress. The cost of this care is around £15,000. This is beyond our reach at the moment."

To donate to Ania's fundraiser, you can find out more here.

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