NO LAUGHING MATTER

Standing with a group of friends at my sixth form school, someone suddenly said something funny.

A burst of laughter escaped my mouth.

Then without any warning, I collapsed in a heap on the floor.

Trying to process what was going on, I realised I could still hear everything around me but couldn’t open my eyes or move my body.

‘Are you OK?’ a friend asked. Panic set in and I desperately wanted to scream for help.

But I wasn’t able to move a muscle – not even my mouth.

I was fully conscious, trapped inside of my limp body.

Trying to control my breathing and relax, I was incredibly relieved when I was finally able to open my eyes again a few minutes later.

Eventually, the rest