Jo, Paul, and James have formed a team (Broad, Bike, and Badger) to take part in the Olympic distance Brighton and Hove Triathlon. Jo will Swim 1500m, Paul will Cycle 40km, and James will Run 10km.

Under normal circumstances this would be normal behaviour for these three keen athletes, but in March Paul was struck by Transverse Myelitis and Miller-Fisher syndrome. It started as a run of the mill sickness bug, but within 48 hours he was almost completely paralysed from the chest down and admitted to hospital. Eight weeks in hospital, a load of steroids, and a plasma exchange followed. After five weeks in hospital Paul stood for the first time (with a lot of assistance) and more importantly (from his point of view) he was allowed to use the MotoMed (pictured) to start to pedal his way back to health.

Now six months in Paul is back on his bike, back on the road, and thankfully approaching full recovery. Although that could ultimately take two years he is grateful to have made such a great recovery in such a short time. He is also massively endebted to the staff at Princess Royal Hospital,  Royal Sussex Hospital, and the Sussex Neuro-rehab team for the fantastic treatment and support he has received.

Transverse Myelitis is an extremely rare condition with very scary symptoms and the resources available from the Transverse Myelitis Society (http://www.myelitis.org.uk) really helped Paul, his family, and friends understand what was happening to him. They also provide wonderful support to other sufferers who are not as lucky as Paul and have to live with debilitating symptoms and disablement.

Please dig deep and give generously to help the TM Society continue to provide this important support. 

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