A 23-year-old from Wales discovered she had a rare health condition with help from ChatGPT, after four years of being misdiagnosed. Phoebe Tesoriere, from Cardiff, was diagnosed with anxiety, depression and epilepsy, but genetic testing confirmed she has hereditary spastic paraplegia.
Phoebe’s health problems began in childhood. She was born without a hip socket and underwent surgery as a baby. She also had balance problems and was tested for dyspraxia, which affects physical coordination – but she did not have this condition.
At age 19, she passed out and had a seizure at work. Doctors attributed the episode to anxiety. The patient disagreed: “I had no history of anxiety, I was a very happy and vibrant person,” she told BBC.
In 2022, she was diagnosed with epilepsy and began treatment with medication. However, he had to stop taking the medication in December 2024, when he felt unwell again and was unable to continue.
At the time, Tesoriere had difficulty walking and was misdiagnosed with Todd’s palsy, a neurological condition in which seizures are followed by temporary paralysis.
In January 2025, he fell from a staircase and spent three months in the hospital, but the tests remained inconclusive.
In July last year, Phoebe had a serious seizure and spent three days in a coma. When he recovered, he was diagnosed with anxiety. It was at that moment that she decided to post her symptoms on ChatGPT.
The role of ChatGPT in diagnosis
After entering her symptoms into the chatbot, Tesoriere analyzed the suggestions with her partner and took the results to the doctor. The GP agreed that hereditary spastic paraplegia could be a “plausible reason” and genetic testing confirmed the AI-suggested diagnosis.
The NHS (UK public health service) states that it is not known how many people suffer from this condition because it often goes undiagnosed.
A spokesperson for Cardiff and Vale Health Board told BBC that “commenting on an individual patient’s case would be inappropriate and therefore we cannot provide further comment.” The agency invited the patient to contact the relationship team.
Phoebe can no longer work as a teacher and uses a wheelchair. However, after finally receiving the correct diagnosis, he seeks a new career path and intends to study psychology. She says she wants to “do something that helps people”.
Artificial intelligence in healthcare
ChatGPT has a modality aimed at medical advice, ChatGPt Health.
Despite Phoebe Tesoriere’s positive case, it is worth remembering that artificial intelligence applied to personal diagnosis also carries risks. For example:
- An independent assessment by ChatGPT Health found serious flaws in identifying emergencies and signs of suicidal ideation. The authors warned that this could lead to a false sense of security and cause unnecessary deaths. Find out more here;
- An Oxford University study from earlier this year had already concluded that AI chatbots provide inconsistent medical advice, which can put users at risk.
Source: www.olhardigital.com.br
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