Father from Keighley left paralysed by Guillain-Barré Syndrome after food poisoning

A father who became ill following a bout of food poisoning ended up being diagnosed with a rare condition which left him paralysed.The family of Asam Iqbal, a previously healthy father-of-four from Keighley, West Yorkshire, initially assumed he was suffering from the after effects of sickness when he collapsed in February of last year after a nap.

But he was eventually diagnosed with Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), a condition of the nervous system, affecting around one in 100,000 people.

Mr Iqbal's brother, Asif, said the family assumed he was struggling with weakness caused by a lack of food when he fell off the bed and was unable to get up.

He said: "Me and his wife had to get him back up. We thought it was weakness because he hadn’t eaten."But after his condition worsened, they took Mr Iqbal to hospital.

"At this point, he could only move his upper body" Asif said. "It was a nightmare. When we got there later he couldn’t move his arms at all."

Medics diagnosed Mr Iqbal with GBS. A family member who is a doctor told them he had only ever heard of one other case in his career.

Mr Iqbal, who was also diagnosed with an overactive thyroid, was put in a medically induced coma.

He regained consciousness after six weeks but spent five months in intensive care and remains in hospital.

"It was only around two months that I realised what was going on and what had happened," he said."At the time I could not talk and I had lost the use of my neck. Being in a coma is a weird experience, it is like living in a different world altogether."

What is Guillain-Barré Syndrome?

GBS is a very rare and serious condition caused by the immune system attacking the body's nerves. It mainly affects the feet, hands and limbs, causing numbness, weakness and pain, and can lead to full paralysis.

Most people with GBS recover from most of their symptoms within six to 12 months, but it can take several years to fully recover. Occasionally it can be life-threatening. One in five people are left with long-term problems.

Food poisoning, flu and glandular fever are common infections which have been known to trigger the condition.

GBS can affect people of all ages but is more common in adult men.

Although he is slowly getting better, Mr Iqbal remains a long way from a full recovery and says he misses the simple things in life.

"Driving the car, walking to the shop, going to the barbers. You miss everything," he said.

"It’s been a long time. I am trying to just get on [with] it. It’s hard to describe everything, especially when it has been this long."But he is determined not to dwell on his predicament.

"You can’t sit and think about everything, [you've] got to forget about the outside," he said. "You just learn to adapt, don’t you? You can’t let your mind take control. You can’t latch onto that."

Since his diagnosis, Mr Iqbal has raised over £3,000 for the NHS by cycling while in his wheelchair.

But to fully recover his mobility he needs physiotherapy. His family has launched a fundraising page to pay for private sessions."The hospital got a speech therapist and after 5 months he started getting improving," Asif said. "He started getting his voice back. He has got some movements here and there."He is recovering but he needs therapy. The hospital is full at the moment. They are understaffed. We can’t get him booked in for sessions."For now Mr Iqbal is remaining positive.

"I wake up with a smile every day. People out there can’t even do that," he said.

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