Holly's Inspiring Journey: From Guillain-Barre syndrome to Happily Ever After!

At the age of 26, less than 3 weeks after giving birth to her first child, Holly was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disorder called Guillain-Barre syndrome. It started with a pain in her neck and a weakness in her legs, and within 12 hours, she could no longer walk. Within 72 hours, she was completely paralyzed and could no longer breathe on her own. She was admitted to the ICU where she spent two and a half months, breathing on a ventilator and fed through a tube in her stomach. When she finally started to recover, she had a long road ahead of her. Once released from the ICU, she started intense physiotherapy where she learned how to use all the muscles in her body again, and eventually how to walk. It was a long four months before she was able to return home to be a mother again, but she has made an almost complete recovery. Holly Gerlach has since written an inspirational book about her experience, and the challenges that she faced along the way. She now volunteers with the GBS foundation visiting other GBS patients, and shares her story – at universities, woman conferences, etc. For more information on Holly and what she is up to now, or to purchase her book, visit her blog: "hollygerlach".