Luke Akehurst, Labour MP for North Durham, has spoken about being unable to walk for five months after contracting a rare medical condition in 2009. He has featured in a new film produced by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, which is set to launch at this week's Labour Party conference in Liverpool.
Sudden onset of symptoms
Mr Akehurst, who was "fit and physically active," began experiencing a "sharp, electric pain" down one of his legs. This progressed to weakness and stiffness in both legs, along with a loss of co-ordination. Within weeks, he was "failing frequently" and had numbness in his hands and feet.
After visiting his GP, he was sent to A&E and admitted to hospital immediately. He was diagnosed with POEMS syndrome, a rare blood disorder that can cause multi-system failure in the body.
Rehabilitation and recovery
Mr Akehurst was told it was "unlikely" he would ever walk again. He said: "I wanted not just to get out of hospital after five long months but to be able to walk again and to be able to be an active dad for my then three year old son, basic things like being able to get up and down from the floor to play Lego or trains with him."
He credited physiotherapy support as vital, adding: "I hope they know the impact they have on people. They gave me my life back."
Impact on his work
Mr Akehurst said he is now only able to do his job thanks to the support he received from physiotherapists. He added: "Whether it’s walking around knocking on doors in my constituency in North Durham, or standing up and speaking in the House of Commons, I can do that because the physiotherapy profession rehabbed me. If you’ve been through it, like me, you know it. Rehab can’t wait."
Sara Hazzard, assistant director at the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and co-chair of the Community Rehab Alliance, said: "We are incredibly grateful to Luke for continuing to advocate for high-quality rehabilitation for everyone who needs it, whether that is through his work in Parliament or by sharing his own experience in this new film. He has championed the vital contribution of physiotherapists and other Allied Health Professionals in helping people recover from life-changing injury and illness, live well with health conditions, and called for more physiotherapy roles across the NHS to meet growing patient demand. His story is a powerful reminder of just how transformative rehabilitation can be."
