A MAN left temporarily paralysed by a rare medical condition has vowed to complete a mile-long walk for Sport Relief.

Graham Chapman, 64, from Cholsey, was left helpless after developing Guillain-Barré syndrome.

On his birthday in June 2008, he was suddenly unable to stand up from his chair.

He regained the use of his legs quickly but within 24 hours he collapsed and was admitted to the John Radcliffe Hospital, in Oxford.

Medics realised his immune system had over-reacted to a minor stomach upset, attacking and destroying his nervous system.

Completely paralysed, he did not leave hospital for six months.

He said: “I went from being relatively fit to absolutely incapable.It was totally random, without rhyme or reason – the average GP will see a case like me maybe once in his career.

“I couldn't do anything. I couldn’t feed myself. It was 14 weeks before I could even sit up, so they had to use a hoist to get me in and out of bed and to the toilet.” He added: “I didn't know if I was going to recover. Family, faith and friends got me through those times.”

Wife Dot visited every day, and Mr Charpman said support from his church helped him recover.

He said: “Nerves can re-grow, but you have to train yourself to do it. You have to reactivate your brain and muscles to work. It is not just a physical battle, but a mental battle.

“I’ve always tried to keep upbeat.

“I saw people in hospital who made me think I was just lucky to be in the state I was in.”

His recovery, masterminded by the Oxford Centre for Enablement at Nuffield Hospital, has been agonizingly slow.

When he took his first steps, it took him a minute to walk 10 yards using a Zimmer frame.

Since leaving hospital, personal trainer Rupert Ward has helped him build up strength.

Mr Chapman said: “When I came out of hospital, I was still drinking beer through a straw. I could not tie a bow in my shoelaces. I was completely incapacitated. There wasn’t any part of me that worked.”

Mr Chapman will attempt to walk a mile in Ladygrove, Didcot, for Sport Relief on Saturday.

He said: “I will probably have to use crutches for part of it, but it has given me a target. It will take me about half an hour to complete.”

Mr Ward said: “From when he first came into the gym in a wheelchair, he has done brilliantly. It will be a big, big challenge for him, but he has certainly walked a mile on the treadmill.”

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