For seven years, mysterious illness had plagued Matthew Horsnell with repeated episodes of unexplained drowsiness and sudden muscle weakness.
Today, he is striving to educate more people about narcolepsy, an illness that millions worldwide experience but is often not well understood.
At the age of twelve, most children are bursting with energy. Matthew Horsnell fought an invisible war. He could hardly hold his eyelids open despite his early bedtime.
Every morning was a battle for him. He used to take naps during classes and used to fall asleep on the couch while waiting for school.
His mysterious tiredness became surreal with age. At 20, his body began to betray him in the middle of intense emotional moments-surprise or laughing.
He would be in a medical condition referred to as cataplexy, where he would suddenly collapse, fully aware but immobile.
One day, he was stretching out in a heavy squat exercise at the gym, and his knees buckled under him. His colleagues cried worriedly as he leaned under the weight. His best came as, “Don’t call an ambulance!”.
Several years of uncertainty and erroneous diagnosis were the past for Matthew before finding a sleep specialist.
The diagnosis ended up to be narcolepsy: a sleep disorder that literally disrupts day and night. An estimated one in 2,000 Americans is expected to be affected, yet many remain undiagnosed as the result of ignorance.
In his daily life, Matthew faced all the challenges of narcolepsy, with overpowering hallucinations and nightmares. Instead of allowing that to define him, he chose to be a voice for others.
As an activist today devoted to inspiring and educating others through organizations like Project Sleep, Matthew seems to have one very well-defined goal: dispel myths about narcolepsy; raise awareness of the condition; and help others discover solutions it took him so long to find.
“My battles are worth it.”if they can give someone else a little glimmer of hope and understanding.
