Chris Kamara has revealed his biggest regret is not being open with his wife about his health concerns before being diagnosed with apraxia of speech. The 67-year-old sports pundit, who was diagnosed with the rare neurological condition in 2021, said he apologised to his wife Anne for keeping his struggles to himself.
Speaking to The Mirror during Mental Health Awareness Week, Kamara explained that his family had noticed signs of his condition before he sought help. 'They spotted the signs. I should have talked to my wife Anne, for which I have apologised to her,' he said. 'I didn't tell my wife what was going on. My family would have supported me rather than somebody I didn't know.'
The former footballer admitted that when he first experienced speech difficulties, he feared he might have dementia or Alzheimer's, which caused his mental health to deteriorate. 'It was a really tough period. I just did not want to be a burden to my family,' he said. His condition emerged just before the Covid-19 lockdown.
Kamara, also known as Kammy, said therapy helped him accept his diagnosis. He had hoped for 18 months that his speech would return to normal, but eventually learned to accept it. 'My therapist told me that the day you accept your condition is the day you will start getting better, and that is what happened,' he said. 'I can be my own worst critic but my speech has improved and I'm fine with how I sound.'
