article: In a matter of moments, Samantha Rawcliffe was catapulted towards an uncertain future. Without warning, the mother-of-two lost all control of her body while she was behind the wheel of her car. Gripped by what would later be diagnosed as a rare brain disorder, the 40-year-old crashed. She blamed her uncontrollable shaking in the aftermath of the accident on her shock. But over the following days, when she lost control of her bladder repeatedly, she feared something else was to blame. Tests revealed she was suffering functional neurological disorder - an umbrella term for a wide variety of neurological symptoms that doctors cannot explain. Samantha Rawcliffe, 40, from Morecambe, has been diagnosed with the rare condition functional neurological disorder - an umbrella term to cover a range of neurological symptoms . The mother-of-two suddenly lost all control of her body and crashed her car last May. In the days after the accident she lost control of her bladder and was shaking uncontrollably . 'It wasn't a bad accident, but I went home shaken and had a drink,' she said. 'I just couldn't stop shaking. 'The next day I wet myself and I wet the bed for the next three nights. 'But I didn't know what was wrong with me, and thought I had a trapped nerve or something like that. 'Even a year on, I have no feeling in my bladder, and I don't know when I need the toilet or even when I am actually weeing. 'There is no sign that will ever return. 'When I was told I had FND, I didn't even know what  it was and it just isn't out there, it's so rare.' Following her accident on May 26, last year, Mrs Rawcliffe was taken to the Royal Preston Hospital to meet neurologists. They eventually diagnosed the rare illness functional neurological disorder in September, following a series of tests. Last September doctors diagnosed the rare brain disorder. Mrs Rawcliffe is now confined to her house, unable to walk and relies on a mobility scooter. Each day she has to take a cocktail of 32 different drugs . Mrs Rawcliffe, from Morecambe, has since had to give up her job as a teaching assistant, and can no longer drive. She struggles to walk further than eight metres, and relies on a mobility scooter to get around. Functional neurological disorder is an umbrella term that covers a variety of symptoms that cannot be explained. The condition can be as debilitating as Parkinson's disease and MS, and may share many common symptoms. Very few effective treatment plans exist. Physical therapy is often the most effective form of treatment, with the aim of reintroducing proper movement and motor control. Many patients are also prescribed cognitive behaviour therapy. The condition can cause the following symptoms: . Source: FND Hope . The 40-year-old spends most of her time confined to her home, and has to take 32 tablets each day to prevent choking fits and tremors. 'Life is quite boring and I can't do anything myself whether it's washing, showering, cooking cleaning,' she said. 'Before I was diagnosed I was going to the gym five times a week and I loved my job. I'm 40 - I never wanted to retire. 'In fact, I get quite tearful when I think about it and my old colleagues always say there is a hole where Sam should be at work. 'I've got no independence anymore and I sold my car in the end because I was sick of looking at it.' Doctors cannot determine whether the condition had been lying dormant in Mrs Rawcliffe's body before it revealed itself. She suffered a mini-stroke as a teenager but recovered within three weeks and met her husband Phillip a few months later. Despite back pain from another car accident 12 years ago, the mother-of-two has not suffered any other ailments. Power plant technician Phillip, 47, and the couple's children Rhys, 19 and Rebecca, 17, have rallied to help. 'I think the kids took it hard at first - there was a lot of crying,' Mrs Rawcliffe said. 'But I have a big family and support network and they have all adapted so brilliantly. 'I used to be the life and soul of the party and I've never been a miserable person but there is so much that I can't do and it's hard to take. 'I end up kind of mourning for the life that I had had before this.' Mrs Rawcliffe is hoping to raise awareness of the condition by drumming up funds for the organisation FND Hope to help boost support for sufferers. Mrs Rawcliffe, pictured with her husband Philip before her diagnosis, said: 'I used to be the life and soul of the party and I've never been a miserable person but there is so much that I can't do and it's hard to take'
highlights: Samantha Rawcliffe, lost control of her body and crashed her car last May .
  Days later she lost control of her bladder and was shaking uncontrollably .
  In September doctors diagnosed her with functional neurological disorder .
  She is incontinent and confined to her house unable to walk or drive .
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