‘Incredible’... paralysed Manchester bomb victim can move his legs again
A PARALYSED Manchester bomb victim is moving his legs again thanks to a radical therapy not yet available in the UK.
Martin Hibbert, 41, was a VIP guest at Manchester Arena’s Ariana Grande concert last May when Salman Abedi, 22, detonated his suicide bomb.
The blast sent 22 metal bolts into Martin’s body, severing his spine. Doctors told him he would never walk again.
But instead of resigning himself to a life of permanent paralysis, the football agent researched the internet and found Neuro-Physics Therapy under the guidance of pioneering therapist Ken Ware in Queensland, Australia.
His determination to defy the doctors saw him get on a plane with his wife Gabby, 45, and fly 10,000 miles to the institute.
Just hours after starting treatment – which trains the brain to send impulses through other routes to bypass the damaged nerves – Martin’s toes started to move again. By day three of his two-week therapy he had pulled himself up, crossed his legs, crawled on all fours and even cycled.
Now 10 months on from the attack, Martin is determined to walk again.
Yesterday he recounted the moment when he was able after wiggle his toes again.
The father-of-one, of Bolton, Greater Manchester, said: “It was incredible. By the next morning, I was able to flex them back and forth. Then each day brought a new miracle, from sitting up unaided to being able to bend and lift my legs.”
The Manchester Arena suicide bombing at Ariana Grande’s concert in May last year killed 22 people, including many children, and injured over 500.