WINSLOW, Ariz. — Sunnycloud Reid, 14, is a junior black belt in Olympic-style taekwondo, has won many wrestling matches against boys and has sparred in multiple jiujitsu tournaments.
Now, her biggest challenge is battling not a human opponent, but a rare neurological disorder.
Over the summer, Sunnycloud got a routine check-up at a Winslow clinic. During the blood draw, she had an adverse reaction, and her body started to spasm, according to her father Joseph Reid.
“It affected her whole body, caused her some seizure-like activity,” Reid said.
Sunnycloud was transferred to a Phoenix children’s hospital, and after a few more visits there has been diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND).
“Getting her legs back under her has been a big thing right now,” Reid said. “If the dog jumps up on her, it might make one of her limbs and her body feel weak. She gets a tingly and numb feeling … it goes away and then it can come back.”
But Reid said despite the difficulties, Sunnycloud has not wanted to stop participating in the sports she loves.
“She’s got a tiger in her, she just wants to keep going,” he said.
Sunnycloud started taekwando when she was 8.
“It teaches you good discipline, self-control and you can get all your steam out,” Sunnycloud said.
She participated in Olympic-style taekwando in Eugene, Oregon, where she reached black-belt status. When her family moved to northern Arizona a few years ago, she started over as a white belt in the more traditional style.
Sunnycloud was two tournaments away from going to nationals in taekwando before the injury, Reid said. Not long after, she was determined to participate in a co-ed jiujutsu tournament and has also returned to wrestling.
“She got a victory over a boy in her first match of the year but she wasn’t 100%,” Reid said.
At a Ganado tournament, Sunnycloud’s opponent was the same girl she had wrestled in the state tournament the year before, when she was in perfect health.
“She had her and then her legs started to do the spasm thing toward the end of match,” Reid said.
Sunnycloud qualified for the state wrestling championship in Phoenix, but Reid said he had to make the tough decision to pull her out of the match right before it started.
“I was disappointed,” Sunnycloud said. “But I didn’t feel 100%”
The side effects for FND can come on suddenly. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NIH), symptoms can include leg and arm weakness or paralysis, tremor, involuntary twitching or jerking of muscles, problems with walking, spasms, speech difficulties and extreme fatigue. Though seizures may look epileptic, the brain functions differently with FND seizures.
An estimated four to 12 people per 100,000 will develop FND, according to the NIH, with it being more common in women, and often beginning in young adulthood. Children and adolescents with FND tend to have a higher rate of recovery.
“It’s just a process,” Reid said. “Weird things can trigger it. There are less triggers now than in August and September. It was pretty rough on her then.”
Sunnycloud’s added a new sport to the mix now, too.
“She’s swimming right now, and that’s helping,” Reid said.
Despite the challenges, Sunnycloud is fighting her way through.
WINSLOW, Ariz. — Sunnycloud Reid, 14, is a junior black belt in Olympic-style taekwondo, has won many wrestling matches against boys and has sparred in multiple jiujitsu tournaments.
Now, her biggest challenge is battling not a human opponent, but a rare neurological disorder.
Over the summer, Sunnycloud got a routine check-up at a Winslow clinic. During the blood draw, she had an adverse reaction, and her body started to spasm, according to her father Joseph Reid.
“It affected her whole body, caused her some seizure-like activity,” Reid said.
Sunnycloud was transferred to a Phoenix children’s hospital, and after a few more visits there has been diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND).
“Getting her legs back under her has been a big thing right now,” Reid said. “If the dog jumps up on her, it might make one of her limbs and her body feel weak. She gets a tingly and numb feeling … it goes away and then it can come back.”
But Reid said despite the difficulties, Sunnycloud has not wanted to stop participating in the sports she loves.
“She’s got a tiger in her, she just wants to keep going,” he said.
Sunnycloud started taekwando when she was 8.
“It teaches you good discipline, self-control and you can get all your steam out,” Sunnycloud said.
She participated in Olympic-style taekwando in Eugene, Oregon, where she reached black-belt status. When her family moved to northern Arizona a few years ago, she started over as a white belt in the more traditional style.
Sunnycloud was two tournaments away from going to nationals in taekwando before the injury, Reid said. Not long after, she was determined to participate in a co-ed jiujutsu tournament and has also returned to wrestling.
“She got a victory over a boy in her first match of the year but she wasn’t 100%,” Reid said.
At a Ganado tournament, Sunnycloud’s opponent was the same girl she had wrestled in the state tournament the year before, when she was in perfect health.
“She had her and then her legs started to do the spasm thing toward the end of match,” Reid said.
Sunnycloud qualified for the state wrestling championship in Phoenix, but Reid said he had to make the tough decision to pull her out of the match right before it started.
“I was disappointed,” Sunnycloud said. “But I didn’t feel 100%”
The side effects for FND can come on suddenly. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NIH), symptoms can include leg and arm weakness or paralysis, tremor, involuntary twitching or jerking of muscles, problems with walking, spasms, speech difficulties and extreme fatigue. Though seizures may look epileptic, the brain functions differently with FND seizures.
An estimated four to 12 people per 100,000 will develop FND, according to the NIH, with it being more common in women, and often beginning in young adulthood. Children and adolescents with FND tend to have a higher rate of recovery.
“It’s just a process,” Reid said. “Weird things can trigger it. There are less triggers now than in August and September. It was pretty rough on her then.”
Sunnycloud’s added a new sport to the mix now, too.
“She’s swimming right now, and that’s helping,” Reid said.
Despite the challenges, Sunnycloud is fighting her way through.