A RARE condition has left a sociable Cwmbran teenager bedridden in hospital, with limited movement and being fed through a tube.

Natasha Willard, 17, fell ill with flu-type symptoms but was then discovered collapsed and unresponsive in her bedroom by her father Robert, on December 7.

Mr Willard called for an ambulance, believing she had banged her head but it was later discovered the teenager had encephalitis, inflammation of the brain, which had been caused by the virus invading the brain, and needed urgent hospital treatment.

The condition led to the youngster being placed in an induced coma for one week and left her unresponsive.

It is only through physiotherapy sessions that her family say they have now started to see improvements such as Natasha being able to move her head to answer ‘yes’ and ‘no’.

The condition first came about after Miss Willard, who lives in Pontnewydd with Mr Willard, her mother, Kirsty, and siblings, Cora-Beth, Casey and stepbrother Jordan, said she felt that she was coming down with flu on December 5, but went out with her friends to play darts that evening.

But over the weekend the Llantarnam School pupil felt worse, only leaving her bedroom to use the toilet.

After she collapsed, she was taken to Newport’s Royal Gwent Hospital, where it was thought she could have meningitis, but this was soon ruled out.

Mr Willard, who works as a bingo caller, said: “She was not very responsive and was in and out of consciousness.”

She was placed in an induced coma for one week and was transferred to the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, where doctors discovered she had swelling on the brain.

A drain was used to draw off the fluid and doctors began looking for a tumour but this was also ruled out.

But doctors found that the encephalitis had affected her cerebellum, the region of the brain that plays an important role in motor control, and she was given four antibiotics to treat this.

Mr Willard said: “Only in the last three weeks we have started to see improvements. Before, she was unresponsive with involuntary movements, but through physiotherapy sessions, she has more control and can move her arms and legs, and shake her head for yes and no.

“She is very weak, and can’t make a fist or even swallow but she is improving, and although the doctors don’t want us to get our hopes up that she will return to how she was, we are hoping for her to be well enough to come home.”

Currently fed through her nose, it is hoped that when Miss Willard is stronger and has a procedure so that she is fed through a tube into her stomach she can be transferred to Rookwood Hospital in Cardiff where more intensive physiotherapy can begin.

The family, who do not drive, have to get two buses to visit Miss Willard in hospital, which costs around £8 per adult.

This is why they have started a fundraising campaign to ease the cost of travel and hope to have money for any house adaptations or equipment needed for when the time comes that their daughter can return home.

To donate visit www.indiegogo.com/projects/natasha-willards-recovery-from-cerebellar-mutism

The Encephalitis Society is promoting World Encephalitis Day, which takes place on February 22.

The life threatening condition that affects 6,000 people each year in the UK will come under the spotlight through the event spearheaded by The Encephalitis Society, a UK charity that provides a dedicated service to people affected by Encephalitis and their loved ones.

To find out more information visit http://worldencephalitisday.org