Temisha Griffiths says one of her biggest struggles is that people perceive her as “normal” on the outside, while she is internally battling a hidden disability.
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Everything changed for Temisha Griffiths when she hit her funny bone at 15.
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The now 22-year-old from Seymour was lapping up summer on a boat with her family when she slipped and banged her elbow.
The pain was instant.
“After 12 months of many doctors’ appointments, scans, nerve conduction studies all coming back that I was in pain, but they can’t see why, I finally met with a professor connected to the Royal Children’s Hospital,” Temisha said.
“After a quick clinical test, he decided that my ulnar nerve was compressed at my elbow and arranged surgery for me.”
From there, it was years of tests and pain and surgeries, all while Temisha should have been dreaming about the future, finishing high school and enjoying her youth.
Twelve months after her first surgery, she lost all function of her arm and all sensation in her hand.
And despite rigorous therapy, her symptoms remained two years later.
Her second operation was also unsuccessful, and in 2023, Temisha was transferred to a new surgeon at the Alfred Hospital.
“During this time, I was missing out on many things that, I felt, made me the person I am,” Temisha said.
“I was unable to participate in many of my hobbies, which had taken a toll on my mental health, as I no longer had an outlet to go to.”
Recently, Temisha received a new diagnosis: functional neurological disorder.
“FND is a very new diagnosis in Australia and is still under further investigation to gain knowledge about how to quickly diagnose and treat,” she said.
“FND can affect the body in many ways, but for me, my symptoms include increased versions of pain.
“The last few months, I have suffered from functional seizures due to my FND. I have around eight to 10, sometimes more, seizures a day.”
Much of Temisha’s formative years has been taken up by surgeries, hospital visits and diagnoses.
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Temisha now lives with chronic pain, inhibiting her ability to do the things that are normal for her peers.
She began a traineeship in childcare, which she was unable to complete due to her condition.
She says, most days, she “struggles to get out of bed”.
“It was hard, I don’t like saying it was hard because I feel like people have harder things, but when I look back on it, it was quite hard,” she said.
“I always say, it kind of feels like I’ve failed at life.
“Sometimes it just kind of feels like I have failed, and it’s not the right thing because I can see everyone else doing their jobs and their outside activities, and I feel like that should be me.”
A significant factor in her diagnosis has been coming to terms with having a hidden disability, where she appears ‘healthy’ on the outside, but is internally struggling.
“No-one can see from the outside what’s going on in my body,” she said.
“From the outside, I seem as though I am what people would say is ‘normal’; however, there are many struggles going on within my body.”
While her diagnosis and symptoms have been difficult to manage, Temisha said she wanted to change the narrative.
Her biggest goal is to raise awareness about hidden disabilities, spreading the message of “don’t judge a book by its cover”.
To achieve this, she’s starting by organising a fundraiser in town for the Sunflower Hidden Disability Foundation, the date for which is to be confirmed.
“I think I just got to the point where I was sick of feeling sorry for myself, and wanted to use my story to help other people instead of just having a ‘bad story’ that’s just sitting there,” Temisha said.
“I wanted to use it. So I thought, well, I might as well let it help others if I can.”
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