Wolverhampton woman shows determination following life-changing illness
Talia Sinnott, from Wolverhampton, is a bright, determined 28-year-old woman whose life was abruptly derailed in January 2022, shortly after she began her career as a trainee clinical psychologist and pursued her ambition to work with children suffering from mental illness and other challenges. Following what appeared to be a routine viral infection, Talia developed severe gastroparesis — a condition in which the stomach becomes partially paralysed and cannot digest food normally.
What followed were years of relentless nausea, malnutrition, dehydration, and repeated hospital admissions. Talia became increasingly unable to tolerate food or fluids and was eventually forced to rely entirely on tube feeding for survival. Despite seeing multiple specialists across the UK and undergoing extensive testing and treatment, her condition continued to deteriorate.
In an attempt to restore some stomach function, Talia underwent major surgery to implant a gastric pacemaker. Sadly, the procedure failed to improve her symptoms. By this stage, she had been told that there were no further treatment options available within the UK healthcare system.
A Breakthrough at the Spero Clinic
In June 2025, after years of decline, Talia travelled to the United States to attend the Spero Clinic in Fayetteville, Arkansas — one of the very few clinics in the world offering a non-invasive, medication-free neurological rehabilitation programme for complex chronic illnesses such as gastroparesis.
Rather than focusing solely on symptoms, treatment at the Spero Clinic aims to identify and retrain dysfunctional neurological pathways, addressing the root cause of illness. Over seven months of intensive therapy, Talia began to show genuine and measurable improvement. Her nausea reduced, her strength increased, and for the first time in years she was able to imagine a future not defined entirely by illness.
Tragically, in December, Talia suffered a major and avoidable setback following a failed feeding-tube replacement at a local hospital in Arkansas. Complications from this procedure left her without nutrition for 11 days and caused a serious deterioration in her health, forcing her to return to the UK for urgent treatment.
The road ahead and funding to date
Talia’s medical team believe that a further three months of treatment at the Spero Clinic is critical to consolidate the progress she has already made and to give her the best possible chance of long-term recovery. The cost of this remaining treatment is approximately £50,000.
Over the past four years, every donation raised through Talia’s GoFundMe appeal has been spent directly on her medical care, travel, and accommodation costs associated with treatment. In addition, Talia’s father has contributed over £100,000 to ensure that Talia could continue when other funding options were exhausted.
They have now reached a point where continuing without further support is simply not possible. If you are able to donate, or to share Talia’s story with others who may be able to help, your support could make a life-changing difference.
Anyone who would like to support Talia: gofund.me/428f559c
