Meet The Woman Who Collapses & Becomes Temporarily Paralysed Every Time She Laughs

While most of us lose ourselves laughing-out-loud when listening to jokes or watching hilarious movies, people like Tracy Herring can’t even try it. The 44-year-old has to avoid watching anything that makes her laugh, for fear of collapsing and becoming temporarily paralysed. Miss Herring, who lives in Sheffield, suffers from a rare condition called cataplexy which causes sudden muscle weakness triggered by strong emotions. “In my case, laughter caused my neck to weaken. I lose control of my limbs and become paralysed on my left side. “It usually only lasts for a few seconds but it is frightening,” she said.

Miss Herring’s cataplexy is so severe she banned herself from hearing or watching anything funny. As a result, she has not enjoyed watching a comedy film since 2003 when she was first diagnosed. The condition has also caused Miss Herring to collapse while laughing with friends in the street.