Martin fights back with help of radical therapy
LYING paralysed in his hospital bed, devastated terror victim Martin Hibbert had been told to prepare for life in a wheelchair.
But the Manchester Arena bomb survivor had other ideas and with the help of radical therapy has regained some of the movement doctors thought had been lost for ever.
And Martin told of the incredible moment he saw his toes wiggling, just two days after he started the specialised treatment in Australia – and 10 months on from the cowardly attack that shattered his life.
The 41-year-old, whose body was left riddled with nails and bolts from the terrorist blast that killed 22 people at an Ariana Grande gig last May, is now determined to walk again.
Football agent Martin said: “It was incredible when my toes moved for the first time.
“I was lying on a bed, watching TV, when I spotted the first movement. I still couldn’t feel anything but my toes were moving by themselves. By the next morning, I was able to flex them back and forth.
“Then each day brought a new miracle, from sitting up unaided and perfectly balanced, to actually being able to bend and lift my legs.”
The dad-of-one underwent NeuroPhysics Therapy (NPT) in the Queensland city of Gold Coast. It trains the brain to send impulses through other routes to bypass the damaged nerves. By the third day of treatment, Martin was able to pull himself into a standing position. And at the end of the two-week stint, he had mastered cycling, crossing his legs, kneeling on all fours and even crawling.
On his final session last week, Martin said feeling had even started to return to his toes, legs and lower abdomen.
Martin was the closest person to the explosion to survive. But one of the nails packed into 22-year-old suicide bomber Salman Abedi’s device severed his spinal cord, leaving him paralysed from the tummy button down.
Amazingly though, none of his vital organs were hit, despite his 22 injuries.
Martin said: “I’ve since been told it was like being shot 22 times at pointblank range. My surgeon said if it wasn’t for my strong heart I’d have died at the scene. From the moment the blast happened I have wanted to stick two fingers up to the terrorists and say, ‘You can take away my legs, but you are not going to take away my life.’”
It was while being cared for at the Salford Royal Hospital and Southport Spinal Injuries Centre that Martin heard about NPT pioneer, Ken Ware, and decided to fly the 10,000 miles to Australia for treatment. He added: “I am a different person to the one who came out here last week.
“The highest point was learning to stand. I’ve not felt that tall for a long time. To see the world at that height was magical.”
Martin now has a daily programme to follow back home in a bid to get himself walking again and is planning a return to the clinic in autumn. He also wants to raise awareness of NPT. »»To find out more about treatment and training to become an NPT therapist in the UK or Europe contact Ken via neurophysicstherapy. com