A woman who woke up with tingly toes ended up paralysed for three months, but has now recovered enough to run a marathon. Ali Sudderth, 33, from Athens, Georgia, first noticed a tingling sensation in her toes, which gradually spread numbness across her body.
She was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare condition affecting the nerves. Despite early treatment, she became paralysed within days. Ali spent three months in hospital, unable to move or care for her three-year-old daughter Meredith.
“I cried myself to sleep so many nights. It is heartbreaking to watch everyone around you be able to take care of your child while you helplessly watch,” she said. After leaving hospital in October 2024, she worked hard to regain strength and recently completed a marathon, crossing the finish line holding her daughter.
Ali still experiences slight tingling in her toes but is determined to push further. “I want to run more marathons; I honestly would love to run an ultramarathon. I want to keep pushing my body to its limit and not waste the second chance I feel like I’ve been given,” she said.
