In a matter of moments , Samantha Rawcliffe was catapulted towards an uncertain future . Without warning , the mother-of-two lost all control of her body while she was behind the wheel of her car . Gripped by what would later be diagnosed as a rare brain disorder , the 40-year-old crashed . She blamed her uncontrollable shaking in the aftermath of the accident on her shock . But over the following days , when she lost control of her bladder repeatedly , she feared something else was to blame . Tests revealed she was suffering functional neurological disorder - an umbrella term for a wide variety of neurological symptoms that doctors can not explain . Samantha Rawcliffe , 40 , from Morecambe , has been diagnosed with the rare condition functional neurological disorder - an umbrella term to cover a range of neurological symptoms . The mother-of-two suddenly lost all control of her body and crashed her car last May . In the days after the accident she lost control of her bladder and was shaking uncontrollably . 'It was n't a bad accident , but I went home shaken and had a drink , ' she said . ' I just could n't stop shaking . 'The next day I wet myself and I wet the bed for the next three nights . 'But I did n't know what was wrong with me , and thought I had a trapped nerve or something like that . 'Even a year on , I have no feeling in my bladder , and I do n't know when I need the toilet or even when I am actually weeing . 'There is no sign that will ever return . 'When I was told I had FND , I did n't even know what it was and it just is n't out there , it 's so rare . ' Following her accident on May 26 , last year , Mrs Rawcliffe was taken to the Royal Preston Hospital to meet neurologists . They eventually diagnosed the rare illness functional neurological disorder in September , following a series of tests . Last September doctors diagnosed the rare brain disorder . Mrs Rawcliffe is now confined to her house , unable to walk and relies on a mobility scooter . Each day she has to take a cocktail of 32 different drugs . Mrs Rawcliffe , from Morecambe , has since had to give up her job as a teaching assistant , and can no longer drive . She struggles to walk further than eight metres , and relies on a mobility scooter to get around . Functional neurological disorder is an umbrella term that covers a variety of symptoms that can not be explained . The condition can be as debilitating as Parkinson 's disease and MS , and may share many common symptoms . Very few effective treatment plans exist . Physical therapy is often the most effective form of treatment , with the aim of reintroducing proper movement and motor control . Many patients are also prescribed cognitive behaviour therapy . The condition can cause the following symptoms : . Source : FND Hope . The 40-year-old spends most of her time confined to her home , and has to take 32 tablets each day to prevent choking fits and tremors . 'Life is quite boring and I ca n't do anything myself whether it 's washing , showering , cooking cleaning , ' she said . 'Before I was diagnosed I was going to the gym five times a week and I loved my job . I 'm 40 - I never wanted to retire . 'In fact , I get quite tearful when I think about it and my old colleagues always say there is a hole where Sam should be at work . ' I 've got no independence anymore and I sold my car in the end because I was sick of looking at it . ' Doctors can not determine whether the condition had been lying dormant in Mrs Rawcliffe 's body before it revealed itself . She suffered a mini-stroke as a teenager but recovered within three weeks and met her husband Phillip a few months later . Despite back pain from another car accident 12 years ago , the mother-of-two has not suffered any other ailments . Power plant technician Phillip , 47 , and the couple 's children Rhys , 19 and Rebecca , 17 , have rallied to help . ' I think the kids took it hard at first - there was a lot of crying , ' Mrs Rawcliffe said . 'But I have a big family and support network and they have all adapted so brilliantly . ' I used to be the life and soul of the party and I 've never been a miserable person but there is so much that I ca n't do and it 's hard to take . ' I end up kind of mourning for the life that I had had before this . ' Mrs Rawcliffe is hoping to raise awareness of the condition by drumming up funds for the organisation FND Hope to help boost support for sufferers . Mrs Rawcliffe , pictured with her husband Philip before her diagnosis , said : ' I used to be the life and soul of the party and I 've never been a miserable person but there is so much that I ca n't do and it 's hard to take '
Samantha Rawcliffe , lost control of her body and crashed her car last May . Days later she lost control of her bladder and was shaking uncontrollably . In September doctors diagnosed her with functional neurological disorder . She is incontinent and confined to her house unable to walk or drive .