A 28-year-old woman, who has been left paralysed in both her legs and her left arm, has said she feels like she's being punished for being ill.
Aimee Campbell was diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disease (FND) in 2017 but was told she doesn't qualify for homecare.
The condition means she has seizures, difficulty swallowing, uses a feeding tube and has a catheter due to bladder issues.
Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) is a problem largely impacting the function of the brain.
Ms Campbell lives with her parents in Co Louth and told Lunchtime Live how the condition affects her.
"FND is like a miscommunication between the brain and the nervous system," she said.
"It's bit like computer hardware; the hardware is perfect - so my brain looks perfect - but actually there's a problem with the software.
"There's a problem with the functioning of the brain.
"I wasn't born with FND, it just kind of came out of the blue in 2017.
"A couple of years before that I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease, so they think there may be a trigger there.
"It's kind of like a relapse and remission illness; I will get better and I'll have a flare up again.
"At the moment I'm in my worst flare up I've ever had, and it's lasting quite a long time as well".
Aimee Campbell before her diagnosis with Functional Neurological Disease (FND). Image: SuppliedMs Campbell said she was hospitalised from last July until November.
"I needed to go in to have the feeding tube put in and then I needed to have extensive physio," she said.
"Then I also get a lot of infections with my bladder so I needed antibiotics and all that kind of thing.
"The hope was that when I'd go home then I would have that bit of support with the homecare, but unfortunately that hasn't happened.
"My two nieces they do be here with my Mam while my sister works.
"It's more to kind of help my Mam, it's very hard to lift me and all that kind of thing.
"It's very hard for me as well to get about because I'm worrying about my nieces and stuff.
"It's quite difficult because it's very busy in the house".
'It's not just for myself'
Ms Campbell said the HSE turned down her request for help as she's under-65 and FND does not meet their list of criteria.
"We have had TDs on to the case, so we're hoping that something will come out of it," she said.
"It was raised in the Dáil last week as well, so I'm really hopeful that something will come out of it.
"I want to get it changed for everybody, it's not just for myself.
"The world that we live in nowadays is all about inclusion and diversity and independence.
"But how can I be independent and how can I have a life if I don't have the support that should be there for me?
"It's kind of like I'm being punished for being ill," she added.
Ms Campbell has been told the HSE will reassess her situation.
She said just two hours a day of homecare during the week would be a help.
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