Pontefract grandmother's 'tingly leg' turned out to be a secret sign of a life-threatening disorder

A grandmother-of-eight who experienced a “tingly leg” turned out to be suffering from a life-threatening autoimmune disorder - which left her in hospital for 10 months.

Mandy Tipling, 65, a retired secretary originally from Pontefract, had just battled a bacterial infection when she started to experience tingling in her left leg in January 2025. It gradually spread to her other leg, arms and face - but blood tests, MRIs and X-rays couldn't get to the bottom of what was wrong.

In June 2025, Mandy, who now lives in Alicante, Spain, was taken to hospital when her family feared she was having a stroke.

The grandmother was treated for dehydration and underwent surgery to remove a perforated gall bladder, which medics discovered when she came into the hospital. But following the operation, her arms swelled to twice their normal size, and she was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) in August 2025 - after scans ruled out other causes.

Mandy said: "I was frustrated with how long it took to get a diagnosis; it felt as though I was going crazy. It felt like the doctors didn’t believe me, as all my tests were coming back normal to begin with.

"It was a scary time because I didn’t know what was happening or what was going to happen. My memory is pretty hazy over it all; I’ve had to rely on my family to tell me most of what was happening.

"Losing the ability to do anything is so frightening. Going from being able to do everything to nothing in the blink of an eye is something I never imagined.

"Each day I feel more determined than the last to build on my strength and to recover, and I couldn’t do that without the support of my loving husband, my amazing family and wonderful friends.

"There is so little known about GBS, and that’s scary; so many people could be going through the same as me and not know. It takes so long to get a diagnosis. It’s a long and slow road to recovery; who knows how long it will take, but I try to tell myself every day that I will recover.” Adding: “Hopefully my memory will improve as I do."

GBS is a rare condition that causes the immune system to attack the nerves, often following a viral or bacterial infection.

Mandy was treated with antibiotics for a campylobacter infection in December 2024, but her vomiting continued for six months. The usually active gran was struggling to stand and carry out daily tasks.

She spent 10 months in the hospital recovering and having physiotherapy, but is now back home. Her daughter, Melissa Storey, 38, an ambulance practitioner and student paramedic, said: "Everything just spiralled, she was needing more and more support and was back and forth to the doctor, but they couldn't work out what was going on."

Mandy needed an electric wheelchair by May 2025, and when her family noticed her body slump to the right and her speech had slurred, they rushed her to Torrevieja University Hospital in June.

Doctors discovered she had a perforated gall bladder, which they removed. After the operation, Mandy's body had filled with fluid.

Melissa said: "She had just ballooned. Her arms and legs were massive."

Mandy underwent more MRIs, an ultrasound and a CT, but when everything else was ruled out, she was diagnosed with GBS.

Melissa said: "It’s heart-breaking to know you can’t help the person you love the most in the world. We've all been so worried about her for ages. We didn't know if she would survive, so every time I visited, I thought it might be the last."

Mandy was discharged from the hospital in April - she can raise her arms halfway and hold her own head up now, has regained a little more of her speech, but gets tired very quickly.

Melissa has set up a fundraiser to help get her mum a wheelchair, which will help her to go upstairs, as she lives in a third-floor flat and is having to sleep in a hospital bed in the sitting room currently.

She estimates the illness has already cost the couple €15,000, including €10,000 for husband Paul, 70, to travel to the hospital, €3,000 for Melissa's travel, and €2,000 for Mandy's hospital bed.

Melissa said: "We just want to raise awareness about Guillain-Barré syndrome. Doctors and nurses seem to know very little about it. Most people haven’t heard of it, so as a family we want to shout it from the rooftops so it can become more widely known.

"It's so lovely to see mum able to smile again, but we've still got a long way to go. If you get the tingling symptoms following an infection, go to your GP as soon as you can: early treatment is key."

You can find out more about the signs and symptoms and how to seek treatment for Guillain-Barré syndrome at NHS.UK.