It all started at the end of July when Andrew 'Red' McClymont began complaining of a sore back.

A week later, he went to see a chiropractor, thinking he had hurt it working as a farm hand at Gravesend or while he was fishing or pig chasing. Not long after he began to feel a tingling sensation in his arms and fingers. By the following night he was unable to feel his legs and had collapsed three times.

The next morning he went to get his then seven-month-old son Ollie out of bed to play, as he usually does before heading off to work. But that morning he couldn't even make it past the hallway before collapsing yet again.

"He laid in our bedroom hallway because he couldn't walk," Red's wife Elle-May McClymont said.

"He attempted to crawl to the kitchen, but all of a sudden his arms gave way.

"I couldn't do anything, he was too heavy for me to lift. I told him to bum-shuffle to the lounge chair. He couldn't feel his legs."

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So Elle-May called an ambulance and Red was taken to Moree Hospital, where it was expected he'd have an X-ray and be discharged.

Elle-May was told not to rush to the hospital, but as she was preparing to leave the house, she got a call that no wife wants to hear - Red was being flown to Tamworth Rural Referral Hospital with the diagnosis of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), a rare neurological disorder in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks part of its peripheral nervous system.

Although the exact cause of GBS is not known, it is believed to be triggered by some form of viral or bacterial infection - "It could have been caused by diarrhoea, an insect bite, he could have cut his finger and got it infected," Elle-May said.

"It's a bug attached to the immune system which attacks itself."

GBS symptoms can range from mild to life-threatening, depending on which nerves are damaged and to what extent. Fortunately, most people eventually recover from even the most severe cases, although some may be left with some form of permanent disability or weakness.

Elle-May said it has been a difficult time trying to come to terms with what this frightening diagnosis means for the family.

"I cried every single day for about the first two and a half weeks," she said.

"I was frightened of what was going to happen, will he be able to do things in life still that we all take for granted? And I asked myself why it was happening to us? What had we done to deserve this?"

Red spent a few weeks in the ICU at Tamworth Rural Referral Hospital where it was believed his condition had plateaued, which means recovery can begin. He was awaiting transfer to a rehab facility where he could begin the long recovery process - recovery from GBS can take anywhere from six months to up to three years.

However, on August 20 Red's condition significantly deteriorated and he had to be flown to Royal Prince Alfred (RPA) Hospital on a ventilator and heart and lung machine.

"They told me they were just trying to keep him alive until the ECMO [extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation] machine turned up," Elle-May said. An ECMO machine pumps and oxygenates blood outside the body, allowing the heart and lungs to rest.

"They found a massive blood clot near his heart and his lungs started to fail.

"They told me he could die on the table.

"[That night] was the worst night of my life. I cried and cried until I had no more tears to cry. I sat close enough so that he knew I was still there. I had promised him I would never leave his side. Waiting for the ECMO machine to arrive was the longest two hours in history. I knew he was going to get the help he needed even though it was in Sydney.

"I kept telling myself he is a fighter and Ollie needs his daddy. He can't leave us."

Once stabilised at RPA, Red was told he had severe GBS, which increases the risk of long-term complications and means his recovery will be longer than initially thought.

Since then, Red has very slowly shown signs of improvement each day.

"He is kicking goals at the moment," Elle-May said.

"He's got some movement back in his arms and fingers and legs, although he gets exhausted pretty quick."

It is hoped Red will be transferred back to Tamworth hospital soon where he faces a long road to recovery. This will involve re-learning to do everything again, from walking to feeding and dressing himself.

That means long-term in hospital and eventually rehab.

Elle-May said one of the hardest things to come to terms with is that up until a few months ago Red was fit and healthy and "had never even been sick". Now, he struggles to do what the rest of us take for granted.

"He's worked for the same people for eight years and has never had a sick day," she said.

"Watching Andrew everyday struggle with the simple things in life we take for granted is the hardest thing. Watching his recovery is the highlight of this horrible journey we are on. Some days I am exhausted but I just say to myself 'think what Andrew is going through and how he feels'.

"Each day I go in to see how he is going, he can't wait to show us his new tricks he has learnt."

Elle-May and Ollie have not left Red's side and will stay with him throughout his recovery journey. But with both Red and Ellie-May not working, this will put significant financial strain on the young family, especially considering Elle-May had resigned from her job only three weeks before Red got sick, in the hopes she'd find part-time work so she could stay home with Ollie for a few days a week.

A GoFundMe page has been set-up to support Red, Elle-May and Ollie while they are living away from home. Already close to $7,000 has been raised for the family.

A number of other fundraisers have also been set-up to help the McClymonts during this difficult time.

A campdraft will be held in Gravesend on November 2 and 3, and a cricket day is currently being planned.

Red's sister Taylah is selling red scrunchies, earring and scarves, with 100 per cent of the profits going to Red and his family. Go to TJs Things on Facebook for more details. Morgan Bell is selling red bucket hats for $25 and Amy Evans is selling Picture Plate Products, with all proceeds going to support the family.

The Fairy Godfather Foundation has donated $2,000 and Moree Discount Drug Store put together a care package for the family.

There is also a Reel it in for Red monster raffle, with tickets being sold at various locations around Moree.

For those who wish to support the family directly, a direct deposit account has been set-up - Elle-May and Andrew McClymont, BSB 082649, account number 202716787.

Elle-May said the support of the Moree, Warialda and Gravesend communities has been overwhelming.

In fact, when Red was given a speech valve for his tracheostomy, the first thing he asked was how he could thank everyone for their support.

"He was crying, even though he can't cry physical tears, he was crying when he said he was wanting to know how we could thank everybody," Elle-May said.

"I tell him the different things that are happening and he's overwhelmed by it all.

"We just want to thank everyone for what they've done. We wouldn't be where we are without the help of all our family and friends and even people we have never met by our side. We can't thank them all enough."

For updates on Red's progress and to support the family, go to www.gofundme.com/f/andrew039s-fight-with-guillian-barre-syndrome.