Guillain-Barré

The only time I've heard about this disease was on Dr House. Guillain-Barré syndrome. It means losing the control of your limbs. They become numb. Met a guy today who was diagnosed with this disease recently, and he told me that he gradually lost control of his legs. They became numb. He wasn't in any pain though, but I must admit it was a bit painful to see a guy that young walking with difficulty. These types of things are supposed to happen to old people, not somebody in his early 30's or even late 20's. But since when was life fair?