VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A Virginia Beach man collapsed at home, was paralyzed and put on life support after contracting a rare neurological disorder that nearly killed him. Now Ra-Jon James is walking again and sharing his story to help others recognize the warning signs that could save their lives.
James' medical crisis began in late July when he started feeling weak. The sudden change was noticeable to those around him almost immediately.
"Back on July 28th, I started to feel weak," James recalled. "And other people that hung out with me, they actually noticed that my eyes were actually red."
James made the decision to get checked out at urgent care, where initial tests came back negative. But within hours of that visit, his condition took a terrifying turn.
"So I went to Patient First and everything sounded very concerned to them. Everything was negative, which was awesome. I just collapsed on the floor," James said.
That collapse happened at home as his father desperately tried to get him back to the hospital.
"He told me, 'Get up. Son, get up.' I said, 'Why me?'" James said. "I can't walk or get up. I can't do any of that. But I actually heard a voice tell me that I was gonna be OK."
James was rushed to the ICU, where doctors worked to keep him alive. In the middle of it all, fear set in.
"I was on the trach, I was on the ventilator. I was actually paralyzed," James said.
When asked what was going through his mind during this time, James responded simply: "Am I going to live?"
Medical teams soon diagnosed James with Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that attacks the body's own nerve cells.
"For some reason, your body creates antibodies that attack your own nerve cells. This is a nerve problem. It's not a muscle problem," said Dr. Jennifer Quilter at Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital, one of the doctors treating James.
Doctors had to perform a plasma exchange on James to remove the infection from his body. He stayed in the hospital for nearly three months.
"Doctor told me I was close to death," James said.
After months of intensive rehabilitation with local medical teams, Quilter says James' recovery has been extraordinary.
"He came back to see us this month for the first time, and we were like, 'Holy smokes. We can't believe it.' He looked great," Quilter said. "His case was very significant; he had very significant deficits..."
James is walking again and using his story to help neighbors throughout the community recognize warning signs.
"I told myself when all of this stuff happened, when I was fully recovered, I said this could happen to anyone," James said.
Doctors say Guillain-Barré Syndrome is rare, but early treatment can be life-saving. James says his faith carried him through his darkest days and he hopes his story encourages families to listen to their bodies.
