Fit and healthy father-of-two left with 'locked-in syndrome' after suffering devastating health condition which is on the rise in under 50s

Daily Mail​

7 days ago

A previously fit-and-healthy dad was left 'locked in his body' after a headache turned out to be a life-altering stroke.
In April 2022, Gareth Bayley, from Bexley in South East London suffered from headaches for around a week, but shrugged them off as being caused by every day stress.
But, when the builder suddenly called his wife Karen to say he didn't feel well while at work, she knew something was wrong.
She rushed to his workplace where his colleagues told her he had collapsed and suffered a fit.
He was rushed to hospital where he continued to have seizures, but it wasn't until the next day that doctors realised he'd had a stroke.
Mr Bayley, who was only 38-years-old at the time, suffered a stroke in his brain stem, which meant it had life-altering consequences.
It led him to develop Locked-In Syndrome, a rare neurological condition that leaves a patient almost completely paralysed while remaining fully conscious.
Despite doctors telling the family the father would likely never move again, his wife says over three years later, he 'has defied every single expectation'.
While he cannot speak or move his limbs, he remains mentally alert—and has regained small but significant functions such as facial expressions.
He even communicates with his family through blinking, spelling out words one letter at a time.
Now, his wife and the kids are on a mission to raise £35,000 for life-changing equipment—that could help Gareth regain vital movement.
She said: 'Gareth is one in a million to me. He's very outgoing and the life and soul of the party. He was the first one there if anyone needed help.
'He is still him—he's fully there and remembers everything. It's just he can't speak or move.
'It's like he's trapped in his own body. Doctors told us he would likely never move again, apart from slight eye movements.
'But Gareth is a fighter. Over the past three years, he has regained some movement: he smiles, he laughs, and his expressions have returned in ways we were told might never happen.
'Every small step forward has given us hope that more recovery is possible.'
The family are even more hopeful as of late after hearing about a special piece of equipment called a Functional Electrical Stimulation Bike.
This is a rehabilitation device that uses electrical pulses to stimulate paralysed muscles and could enable Gareth's arms and legs to move together
However, it can only be sourced from the United States—and comes with a hefty price tag of £35,000.
She added: 'We did try to get it funded as he is in a care home, but because it was so expensive, the funding got refused as it wasn't deemed an 'essential piece of equipment'.
'But to us it is essential. If I can get him this bike it will be amazing.
'It would help increase his muscle strength, prevent pressure sores, improve the movement range with his arms and legs, help his joint mobility, and help his muscle spasms.
'It could give Gareth the best possible chance at further recovery, independence, and dignity.
Since his stroke, Gareth has been moved between hospitals, rehab centres, and care homes.
But his wife hopes he can live with her and the children again if they secure the bike.
She said: 'My husband has expressed that he wants to come home and be with me and the children again. But it's the case of getting the equipment.
'He has physio once a week in his care home and they've said if we can get the equipment, I can have training. The goal is then to have him back home again.'
His wife described the public's response to the father's story as overwhelmingly supportive.
The devoted wife said: 'It's been amazing. The response I've had from it has been fantastic.
'It's a little overwhelming—people who don't even know me or my husband have donated money and been so generous.
'It's been completely life-changing – he was 38 and I didn't associate a stroke with someone that age.
'But you don't know what can happen overnight, it's turned our world upside down.'
It comes amid a surge in stroke cases among young people, with those under 55 seeing cases soar by 67 per cent between 2002 and 2018.
Some experts believe may be due to younger people vaping, drinking alcohol and smoking weed.