Teacher left paralysed by brain bleed travels over 1,000 miles to recover after ‘nightmare’ NHS treatment
Anna Chithrakala, 45, says she tried to ‘escape’ the NHS hospital she was in
A London teacher left unable to walk or talk after suffering a sudden brain haemorrhage has been driven over 1,000 miles to Hungary for specialist treatment following what her family describe as a "nightmare" experience with the NHS.
Anna Chithrakala, a 45-year-old English teacher and palliative carer, collapsed while on a walk in December, losing her ability to speak.
Rushed to hospital, she underwent six hours of brain surgery for a major bleed and was diagnosed with a stroke. The stroke left her unable to walk, talk, or move the right side of her body.
During her recovery, Ms Chithrakala was transferred to University Hospital Lewisham. Her time there, however, was marred by what she alleges were "bullying nurses" and "noisy wards" in an experience she describes as a "nightmare".
Determined to see her daughter regain her mobility and speech, Ms Chithrakala’s mother, 69-year-old Piroska Markus, discovered a rehabilitation programme at a hospital in her native Hungary.
The family then decided to drive Ms Chithrakala the 1,100-mile journey from London in February, a trip that took two-and-a-half days.
Ms Chithrakala is now undergoing intensive rehabilitation at a cost of £500 per week, much less than the price quoted for private treatment in the UK. The therapy is showing positive results, with Ms Chithrakala regaining some ability to walk and talk after initially being unable even to blink.
However, the family's funds are dwindling and are expected to run out by 2 June. They have launched a GoFundMe page to raise money to allow her to continue her recovery in Hungary.
“I love it here,” Ms Chithrakala said, speaking from the hospital in Hungary with the help of her mum and 40-year-old brother Senthil Seveelavanan.
“This hospital makes a difference to my recovery as everyone is optimistic and everything is about being active.
“In Lewisham, everything was pessimistic, nurses were bullying patients and the wards were very noisy with people mostly remaining in bed.
“I tried to climb out of the bed and escape the hospital.”
Before her stroke, Ms Chithrakala was freelancing as an English teacher and a live-in palliative carer while studying to be a complementary medicine practitioner.
On 21 December, 2024, she was on a walk with her care patient and a friend when she suddenly lost the ability to speak, before collapsing, with no prior symptoms.
Ms Chithrakala had two surgeries on her brain and was placed in an induced coma.
“She was between life and death for several weeks,” her mother said.
Six weeks later, Ms Chithrakala was moved from Bristol to University Hospital Lewisham’s stroke ward to be closer to her family – including her younger brother, Ruben Seveelaventhen, 38, from London.
But she claimed nurses were “bullying” patients on the “very noisy” wards at the hospital.
In mid-February, doctors recommended for Ms Chithrakala to be discharged from hospital.
However as an NHS outpatient, she would only be entitled to two-and-a-half hours of rehabilitation per week for up to one month after leaving the ward.
Fearing Ms Chithrakala would not have the tools to recover, her family found alternative treatment at the National Medical Rehabilitation Centre Budakeszi, offering all-inclusive therapy and board – for which they were quoted around £5,000 from private UK providers.
The programme is free for Hungarian citizens but costs Ms Chithrakala £500 per week as an overseas patient.
On 25 February, they drove two-and-a-half days to Hungary where Ms Chithrakala is now enrolled in the programme.
There, she has weekly access to physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, water therapy, music therapy, occupational therapy, including cooking skills, and robotics therapy to stimulate her right arm and leg.
She also has a weekly counselling session with a therapist at the hospital.
Ms Markus said: “I knew that rehabilitation is a strong part of the culture here and the philosophy of rehab is different.
“The machinery is all around so patients can use it whenever they like.
“Anna shares a room with only one other person and they have their own balcony overlooking a forest and a bathroom adapted to their needs.”
Ms Chithrakala’s right hand and foot remain paralysed but she is able to walk with significant effort.
She is also regaining her speech, speaking in broken sentences, and slowly recovering her cognitive abilities.
A Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust spokesperson said: “We are very sorry to hear about Ms Chithrakala’s experience with us and would encourage her and her family to contact us directly so that we can open a formal investigation into their concerns.
“We wish Ms Chithrakala well with her continued recovery and hope that she is able to return home soon.”
To find out more, visit Ms Chithrakala’s fundraiser here: gofundme.com/f/anna-neuro-rehabilitation-fund
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments