Stranger’s frantic DMs made influencer re-take her medical exam. 4 years later, she’s thanking her for saving her life

Sometimes, a stranger's message can save someone's life. When twenty-year-old Evie Meg, who was suffering from seizures, posted a video of her trying to walk without crutches, the video caught the attention of a follower who began messaging her frantically. Little did Evie know that the stranger's message would eventually save her life. Sharing the story on November 30, Evie's post has attracted more than 79,000 likes so far.

Evie was diagnosed with FND (Functional Neurological Disorder) and was constantly "gaslit" by her doctors, who said she did not have any physical abnormalities and could never find a cure. However, when she received a DM from a stranger, little did she know that her life was about to change. Meg was 20 years old when she posted the video and received tons of messages and comments from @pans.awareness.mystory, who kept saying: "I don't want to be annoying but I think you have PANDAS. Tics, regression, paranoia, seizures, dystonic tics, just makes sense. Pls look into it." The stranger convinced Meg that she was being misdiagnosed and that she was actually suffering from brain inflammation, Lyme disease, Bartonella, and other infections. While most people may have dismissed such messages, Evie decided to get tested, and it turned out that the stranger was indeed right.

Four years down the line, she met the kind stranger, Jordana, who saved her life and now holds a special place in her heart. In her post's caption, she wrote, "I was rude to Jordana in the beginning, not being able to comprehend something ACTUALLY being wrong with me. I realize now all of it came from a place of being dismissed by doctors and the NHS for years of my life. I was told it was all mental health related, no physical cause, so after years of that, I just accepted it. But eventually I realized too much lined up for it not to be true. Then of course the tests revealed it all. So it could change your life for the better."

A 2024 study by Alexandra Fuss explored medical gaslighting and how clinicians sometimes minimize or dismiss patient symptoms, especially in conditions that have vague presentations. The researchers noted that these dismissals can stem from patient factors like chronic or complex symptoms, provider factors like burnout and time pressure, and system factors like overloaded clinics and limited guidelines for invisible illnesses. Following the post going viral, many users hailed the stranger for their key observation. @feralcroquembouche wrote, "I'm so glad she came at you in a caring way and not overbearing and pretending to know everything. Help can come from the strangest places and I'm so glad you listened!" @tini.babi.stinker commented, "This is so beautiful. So beautiful!!! It's amazing that you guys were able to connect and really get into this." @friki_power_girl shared, "It's so beautiful seeing how a stranger is so willing to help another stranger. I'm so glad you've found each other."

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