Friday April 27 2018 Yorkshire Post 13 Features Comment

It is worth every penny. If it hasn’t been for seeing them in the first place, I would probably be bed-bound, there is no doubt at all. Every time I tried to stand, my back just gave way.

Alf Limb, MOTIONrehab patient from Crofton. robotics changing lives Most people would think nothing all. It was very stressful for my wife and involve patients completing simple or be able to return home. But I have of walking 135 steps, but for the daughter,” he says. games like moving a dog on a screen to Company hopes now done both. Being a sportsman usually wheelchair-bound Alf Limb, Alf says he believes the new facility collect a bone and building a train track and a confident character I couldn’t completing such a distance is his will make a considerable difference to that help with physical and mental to work with NHS accept the prognosis. I wanted as much equivalent of successfully running the lives of him and his family. “With recovery, offer the chance of a faster physiotherapy as I could get. I have put a marathon. The 77-year-old former post-polio syndrome I know I’m not recovery. The Centre is ‘exploring options’ my heart and soul into that and tried to butcher is one of the patients of a going to get a lot better. But this therapy “Rehabilitation is based around the to work with the local NHS, Sarah get myself back on my feet and I have new neuro-rehabilitation centre in can hopefully keep it at a level and stop ‘practice makes perfect’ adage: the Daniel says. come on leaps and bounds.” Yorkshire which is using state-of- it getting worse too quickly.” more you do, the better you get,” she She says the company has already Physios from MOTIONrehab have the-art robotics and virtual reality In an unremarkable- For centre owner Sarah Daniel, says. “We’ve seen rehabilitation results collaborated with Leeds University assisted with his recovery and Gary, technology to offer fresh hope to people Alf’s experience is a perfect example improve significantly when exercises and has had discussions with local who can now walk with the aid of a whose lives have been dramatically looking office building of what she hopes the new facility can are repeated more frequently over NHS leaders about potential ways walking stick, hopes the new centre restricted by the often-sudden onset of achieve. She has invested £500,000 in longer periods of time: ideally several their services could be used by the will eventually assist him to regain the disability. on the outskirts of the centre after researching similar hours a day. People want to get well health service in future. use of his left arm, which has been one Before the pioneering new facility clinics in Europe last year. However, and they want to get their lives back – Sarah says patients will soon be of the main effects of his stroke. – the only one of its kind in the Leeds, new technology the Yorkshire facility is currently the and high intensity rehabilitation has a able to make use of virtual reality Another patient recovering from a UK and run by a company called is transforming only one in the UK to provide such high crucial role to play.” goggles which show them avatars stroke hoping the centre will further MOTIONrehab – opened this week at a intensity rehabilitation programmes. Another patient making use of of their body parts to help aid their assist his rehabilitation is 69-year-old business park in Morley, Alf was only the lives of stroke It builds on the existing work of the the centre is ex-golfer Gary Day, who recovery, with that technology Malcolm Moon from Bradford. In 2015, able to manage a few steps across his specialist physiotherapy company, lives in Guiseley. Gary had a stroke becoming available later this year. he had a stroke so serious that doctors living room on a zimmer frame, with victims and brain which has bases in Harrogate, York three years ago at the age of 42 after “It is really exciting,” she says. believed he had no chance of recovery the support of a physiotherapist and and Hull and has merged its Leeds and damaging his arteries in a cycling She says the use of such and his family made the agonising his wife Judith following immediately injury sufferers. Bradford operations at the new site in accident. His condition was so serious technology helps make treatment decision to switch off his life-support behind with his wheelchair should he Morley. he spent more than a year in hospital more interesting and engaging machine. As the family gathered by his fall over. Chris Burn reports. But because their work is not and was given a bleak prognosis for patients, with “motivating and bedside to say their final goodbyes, he But in his two attempts on a ‘robotic covered by the NHS, treatment by doctors caring for him. “I was challenging” therapy offering a squeezed his nephew’s hand – leading gait trainer’ called Lyra at the facility walked out of hospital and a lot of the does not come cheap. The intensive bedridden and was told there was a greater chance of it succeeding. him to be affectionately known as ‘the this week, Alf has managed to do the others who were in there with me came programmes, which involve 80 hours strong likelihood I wouldn’t walk again miracle man’ in hospital. He gradually equivalent of well over 100m each out in wheelchairs so I considered of rehab over a period of four to seven recovered but even then his family time – far outstripping what he has myself quite lucky.” weeks, cost in the region of £5,500. were warned that as the former carpet previously been able to achieve. The He managed a full working life, first However, for Alf it is a worthwhile retailer was unable to swallow at that machine works by holding feet in as a butcher and then in a plastics investment. “It is worth every penny. stage he may be left unable to eat, place on mobile foot plates to replicate factory, before eventually retiring. If it hadn’t been for seeing them in the drink or speak – but he can now do all natural walking patterns.T he result However, in 2010 problems began first place by now I would probably three. Malcolm says the new facility is is that users are able to make up to when a knee replacement went badly be bedbound, there is no doubt at all. “amazing” and hopes it can allow him 40 times as many steps compared to wrong and resulted in him relying Every time I tried to stand, my back just to make further progress in his ongoing treadmill training or manual walking on an uncomfortable caliper. After collapsed, it just gave way. I would say recovery. practice. five years, he upgraded it for what to anyone in a similar position to myself Sarah says: “Getting someone to “It is amazing really,” he tells The should have been a superior carbon – definitely go for it.” go to the toilet themselves doesn’t Yorkshire Post at the official opening fibre version. But the way in which it Sarah says her typical patients have make headlines but it make a massive of the centre on Thursday morning. altered the way he walked – combined suffered from injuries that affect their difference to a person. Helping “I wouldn’t be doing much more than with post-polio syndrome gradually brain function and mean it needs somebody become able to walk their 12 steps per week and now I have just weakening his muscles – resulted in to be ‘rewired’ to relearn what were child to school again or go back to a done 135 steps on the machine this his back collapsing 12 months ago and previously basic tasks like turning a hobby they loved, for us that is a good morning.” Alf being confined to a wheelchair. key in a lock or putting a card in a cash day in the office.” Alf, from Crofton near Wakefield, “It was terrible. I had always tried machine. She says the new machines, contracted polio as a seven-year-old. “I to keep myself quite active so it was which are designed to treat all aspects transforming lives: Alf Limb, pictured using the gait trainer, and Gary Day, ■■Email: [email protected] ■■Twitter: @yorkshirepost made quite a good recovery,” he says. “I devastating. I couldn’t do anything at of arm and leg rehabilitation and above, are among those hoping to benefit from the centre. Pictures: james hardisty An epic run, a dream gig, and a record-breaking nude 1. How many times has wheelchair a) Dentdale Meadow d) Diego Velázquez almost what amount in just 12 racer David Weir won the London b) Mill Pond Meadow months, according to the RAC Marathon? Quiz of c) Roundhay Park Foundation? a) Six d) Yorkshire Sculpture Park 8. Which rock star said it was a a) One million b) Seven the week “dream come true” to open for the b) Two million c) Eight Rolling Stones when they bring c) Three million d) Nine 6. The average UK adult has more their new tour to the UK next d) Six million Test your knowledge than how many living relatives month? according to a study by family a) Liam Gallagher 2. Sir Mo Farah set a new British history firm, Ancestry? b) Noel Gallagher 11. The Yorkshire Post’s outgoing record in the London Marathon. To d) August 29 a) 4,000 c) Ed Sheeran Features Editor Sarah Freeman the nearest minute, what is it? b) 9,000 d) Sir Paul McCartney. wrote a biography of who? a) Two hours four minutes c) 16,000 a) Gary Barlow b) Two hours six minutes 4. Which pop singer is returning to d) 23,000 b) Charlotte Brontë c) Two hours eight minutes EastEnders? 9. Amber Rudd is MP for which c) Sir Michael Palin d) Two hours nine minutes a) Hannah Spearitt constituency? d) The Bay City Rollers. b) Jo O’Meara 7. A nude painting by which famous a) Bexhill and Battle

c) Martin Kemp artist has a £107 price tag – the b) Hastings and Rye

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3. When do Yorkshire next play d) Rachel Stevens highest estimate ever placed on c) Horsham C

- One million. 11) B - - B 11) million. One - A 10) ye. R and astings H

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match at Headingley? under the hammer next month? - B 7)

- 16,000. 16,000. - C 6) eadow. M Pond ill M - B 5) pearitt.

a) May 29 5. Where is War Horse, a new a) Gustav Klimt S marathon man: Mo Farah annah annah H - A 4) 29. ugust A - D 3) minutes. six

ANSWERS: wo hours hours wo T - B 2) ight. E - C b) June 29 First World War memorial b) Amedeo Modigliani 10. The number of parking tickets 1) came third in last weekend’s 2018 Virgin c) July 29 sculpture, to have its home? c) Pablo Picasso handed to drivers has risen by Money London Marathon. PIcture: pa