"My rare migraines give me a 'stroke' every two weeks"
A woman says her rare migraines may leave her needing a wheelchair permanently - and she has an imitation ‘stroke’ every two weeks. Leona Hargreaves, 26, was in the middle of a work day in October 2024 when she was randomly struck with a weakened left side, the inability to talk, and vision loss in her left eye. Her husband, Sam, 26, an aircraft technician, rushed her to Lincoln County Hospital, where she was diagnosed with hemiplegic migraines, after blood tests and a CT scan. The rare migraines - which affect one in 10,000 people - cause stroke-like symptoms like slurred speech, muscle weakness and confusion, and there is currently no cure. Already reliant on a mobility aid during and after an episode, Leona fears she’ll suffer a migraine so severe, it will leave her in a wheelchair permanently.
