A FEMALE bodybuilder has told how she been left bedbound after losing SIXTEEN stone to achieve her dreams.
Melody Wakelin had qualified as a personal trainer and came second in a major fitness competition in 2017 when her world was turned upside down.
SWNSMelody had achieved her dream of becoming a body builder[/caption]
GoFundMe / Jack WakelinSix years later she is now left bedbound[/caption]
SWNSMelody before her weight loss journey and subsequent illness began[/caption]
SWNSMelody after placing in a bodybuilding competition before she came down with her illness in 2017[/caption]
She had shed 16 stone of fat to get where she wanted to be – but she soon began to suffer from severe brain fog and muscle spasms.
Six years later there had been no solution to her pain and she was left “trying to be a mother from the sofa”.
She told KentOnline: “I’m bed-bound, so I can’t take my kids to school, or work as a personal trainer or barber.
“It’s had such an impact on me, my husband and my kids. I can’t even go for a walk or leave my house by myself.”
After “hundreds” of doctor’s appointments she was no closer to knowing the reason behind her symptoms.
Melody explained: “I’ve been told there’s nothing wrong with me and I’m just imagining things.
“Some people have said it’s just pinched nerves, others have said it’s just anxiety – but here I am with a neck brace on trying to make sure I don’t become paralysed.
“I’m unable to be active so I’ve gained all the weight back. The only time I leave my house is to go to doctor’s appointments. I’ve become a prisoner in my own house.”
However, in September medical experts in Barcelona finally gave her a diagnosis – saying she had atlantoaxial instability and Occult Tethered Cord Syndrome.
Atlantoaxial instability (AAI) is also known as neck instability. This is caused by an excess of movement in vertebrae, which are the bones in the spine.
Meanwhile OTCS is where the base of the spinal cord tethers itself to the other parts of the spinal column.
Her family are now trying to raise more than £100,000 for treatment back in Barcelona, as they claim the NHS doesn’t offer the exact treatment required.
Her husband explained: “Watching Melody deteriorate over last six years has been heart-breaking.
“Watching her go from fit, healthy, and fun, to no not being able to stand (or sometimes even sit) upright and basically become a prisoner of our own home is devastating.
“Even the daily tasks that may seem insignificant to you and I – driving a car, going to the shop for a few items, taking a walk – are now impossible.
“One of the things she says she misses the most is the school run – something so simple as being able just to take our boys to school, telling them she loves them and to have a nice day as they walk off towards the school gates, has now all been taken away from her because her body has just started failing.
“If she is left untreated, her symptoms will progress, and she will eventually suffer paralysis and most likely death.”
It comes after another bodybuilder recently opened up about how she also went from 16 to being a competitive bodybuilder.
The 38-year-old, from Northampton, England, has competed in eight shows since she first hired an online coach back in 2020, with the goal of shedding her excess pounds.
She boasts over 1,000 followers on Instagram, where she documents the process of sculpting her enviable figure.
A 13-year-old also said he was taking up the sport – despite not being able to join a gym.
Eric English, from Fredericton, Canada, has been making waves on social media with his Hulk-like physique.
The youngster has amassed over 500,000 followers on Instagram through his impressive fitness videos where he shows off his toned body
SWNSMelody after diagnosis with Atlantoaxial instability[/caption]