Tel: 01623 707017
Pick Me Up - I’m FREE
December 2018
Determined dad defied the odds to walk again A MANSFIELD man told he had only a 30% chance of walking again put playing golf as one of the focuses of his recovery — and it has paid off.
James Hart, 33, now plays off a seven handicap at Coxmoor Golf Club, Sutton, and is planning a 190-mile walk in aid of a charity that helped him after he suffered a one-in-a-million disease. He also hopes the fundraising will promote awareness of transverse myelitis, fund research, and show other people with the rare condition that there is hope. James said: “I want to give other people with transverse myelitis hope, belief and more awareness. It can happen to anybody at any time. There is no known cause and no cure. “All that is available at the moment are treatments to manage the side effects and to try to limit damage.” James was also motivated to fight back when he was diagnosed 2½ years ago by his children and his wife.
“At the time the children were aged four (Josh) and five months (Siena), which made it even tougher to accept,” said James. “But that was a major inspiration to keep me going. “It is tough psychologically to come to terms with and requires luck and determination to get through it physically.” James, who is married to Beckie, 29, said he was determined not to let the condition get him down. His problems began when he was 30 and contracted pneumonia and pluerisy, which led to transverse myelitis after he thought he had recovered. Overnight that led to nerve damage and partial paralysis. James added: “At the time I was told I had a 30% chance of walking again without walking aids or needing a wheelchair.” He was told he had myelitis — an inflammation in the spinal cord that affects messages from the brain to the rest of the body — and had suffered nerve and muscle damage.
James learned to walk thanks to 18 months of physio at Newark Hospital, which strengthened his muscles. “I was able to begin to play golf again, a goal that helped to focus my recovery,” he said. “Now I play off a seven handicap and reached the semi-finals of my club’s matchplay competition. I felt lucky to again be competing at a good level.” James, who still suffers from nerve damage and leg pain, is planning the coast-to-coast walk in aid of the Transverse Myelitis Society. He aims to walk 16 miles a day from St Bees in Cumbria to Robin Hood’s Bay in North Yorkshire in the Easter holidays next year. “The charity does a great job helping people with the condition and it tries hard to create awareness,” he said. “Hopefully this walk and my story will bring more awareness and help people who have a rare disease.” lANYONE wanting to support James can make a donation at gofundme.com/ aeh36-transverse-myelitis-awareness
Help with festive lunches for elderly — page 3 Donating gifts to children — page 4
Santa’s sleigh takes to the streets — page 5 Christmas events — pages 6 and 7
JAMES Hart and his wife, Beckie.
100-year-old Dorothy is an inspiration DOROTHY Crawthorne and Sachin Badhe.
A MANSFIELD centenarian is thought to be one of the oldest knee replacement patients in the country after undergoing a successful knee replacement operation at the age of 100. Inspirational Dorothy Crawthorne has had two knee replacement surgeries, the first when she was 98, at King’s Mill Hospital, Sutton. She now aims to be able to walk independently again in the next few months. Dorothy, a patient at Sherwood Forest Hospitals Trust, said she still did all her own housework and did not feel old. She said: “I couldn’t get around at all by myself before, but now that I have had the operations it has made me feel more confident and steady on my feet.”
Dorothy uses a mobility scooter, but her main aim is to get to the shops opposite her home without it. She said: “I do walk about a lot in the house, so I’m grateful to the hospital for what they have done. “I was unsure on my feet before the operation and I didn’t feel safe walking, but I even managed to walk down to the ambulance myself to get to my hospital appointment.” Consultant orthopaedic surgeon Sachin Badhe said: “I am pleased to say that Dorothy is recovering well after a real team effort to get her back on her feet. “The physiotherapy team has been excellent, along with the nursing staff who cared for her on the ward.
Apply now FOR
September 2019
Choose from A Levels, vocational courses and apprenticeships
www.wnc.ac.uk
“Thanks to their help and dedication Dorothy was able to go home two days after her operation. It is brilliant that we have been able to improve her quality of life. “After weighing up the risks and benefits for Dorothy, we decided that the surgery was possible. “I hope that the knee replacement we have done will give Dorothy a new lease of life and will allow her to live independently again.” Dorothy added: “They have done a really good job at the hospital. I feel much better now and I am not in pain.”
BERRY HILL PARK SAVED — page 12