Pundit Kamara inspired by Midland man who beat speech condition
Dyspraxia sufferer’s advice to former footballer after diagnosis
AN inspirational Solihull man who conquered a rare debilitating speech disorder has become something of a sensation after advising former footballer Chris Kamara to “never give up” after he was diagnosed himself.
Mikey Akers, 21, was diagnosed with verbal dyspraxia/apraxia – neurological speech disorders – aged just two-and-a-half.
His condition left him unable to make himself understood by anyone outside of his family and years behind his peers at school.
Mr Akers starred in Kamara’s recent ITV documentary ‘Lost For Words’, which follows the pundit’s journey after he was diagnosed with Apraxia of Speech (AOS) in his sixties.
Mr Akers, who couldn’t speak when he received his Pride of Birmingham in 2018, is now unrecognisable, sharing his story to packedout conferences, lobbying parliament and raising vital funds for speech therapy in schools.
And he had some sage advice for Kamara. When the ex-footballer found himself struggling with his speech in his sixties, he first thought it was dementia.
The Sky Sports broadcaster feared he was losing his memory as he struggled to make himself understood.
But a diagnosis of apraxia followed, forcing him to leave his star-studded career at Sky, and leaving him feeling like he “couldn’t go on”.
And in Kamara’s documentary, which saw him undergo treatment and meet other people with the condition, nursery-worker Mr Akers provides inspiring words of wisdom.
Describing his apraxia, Kamara said: “It feels like someone has taken over my voice box, I feel a fraud in terms of broadcasting, I don’t bring to the table what I used to, so that’s been hard to accept. When I got my apraxia I wanted to give up, I felt embarrassed, I felt I couldn’t go on.”
He added his 2020 diagnosis was “very isolating”.
Chatting to Kamara in a cafe and in a meeting with Meriden MP Saqib Bhatti, Mr Akers said: “Never give up, it is a lot of hard work, every week doing intensive speech therapy, but if you keep going at it, your speech will improve. I think you were right to carry on, the awareness that you’ve spread doing it is amazing, and those children who will be watching you on TV will get so much encouragement to just never give up.”
The condition meant ex-Alderbrook School pupil Mr Akers struggled to form the precise mouth movements needed to produce sounds, making speech very difficult.
Mr Akers said: “Verbal dyspraxia is a neurological speech disorder that is affecting the muscles, the messages from your brain to your mouth, to do the right movements to get the right sound out.
“It could also affect your growth
and fine motor skills as well, as well as processing thoughts.”
It impacted his ability to make friends and socialise.
“School didn’t really know what verbal dyspraxia was but they did give me the support I needed to pass all of my GCSEs,” he added.
Mr Akers is now a fundraiser and mentor for children with the condition who need help in local school.
Mr Akers’ mother Louisa Akers said: “Chris Kamara didn’t realise that children had verbal dyspraxia either, he was actually almost in tears listening to Mikey’s story.
“It was emotional, I’ve watched it twice with Mikey, and I then actually watched it on my own and cried all the way through it. Only last year, he wouldn’t have been able to talk on the phone. Seeing how far he has come is absolutely amazing.
“He couldn’t even speak at the Pride of Birmingham Awards, and now he’s doing wonderfully.”
The awareness that you’ve spread is amazing, and those children who will be watching you on TV will get so much encouragement to just never give up