It’s been almost four years since Stan Martin was given a diagnosis that meant he would live the rest of his life in a wheelchair.
But the Rutherford man now believes he will walk again.
Originally he was told he was suffering from the rare spinal condition transverse myelitis, but Mr Martin was told last week he has a different condition known as anterior spinal artery syndrome.
“I always knew I didn’t have transverse myelitis . . . something inside me was telling me I had something else,” Mr Martin, 50, said.
Armed with a steely determination, Mr Martin and his family sought a second opinion.
“I’ve been told I was misdiagnosed and I don’t have transverse myelitis at all but I do have a syndrome which is a like having a blood clot in my spine,” he said.
“And while the doctors are unsure of what I will be capable of, at least I have closure.”
Mr Martin is a far cry from the man the Mercury visited during his intense and challenging rehabilitation period at Ryde’s Royal Spinal Unit nearly four years ago.
Then Mr Martin was struggling with the news of his condition and life as a paraplegic.
On June 14, 2004 – in the space of 20 minutes – Mr Martin’s life changed when it was believed he fell victim to a cruel and rare spinal condition.
He was told he would never walk again and the devastated father and grandfather refrained from kissing his family as he believed they could catch the condition.
But now Mr Martin is a different person. A change he mostly credits to Newcastle chiropractor Tony Rudd.
“About 18 months ago I went to Tony as a last resort and I’ve improved out of sight. I can move my arms, even hold them over my head and I can shift from my chair to bed without assistance . . . I feel fantastic and I never thought I would,” Mr Martin said.
“I’ve halved my medication and I believe I will walk again . . . nothing is going to stop me now.
“I know, that one day, I’ll be out there playing soccer and golf with my grandson.”