Chris Kamara raises awareness of apraxia at event in Manchester

ITV Granada Reports correspondent Victoria Grimes spoke to Chris Kamara at an event in Manchester

Former footballer Chris Kamara has been recalling how he "suffered in silence" for almost two years before he was diagnosed with a speech disorder.

The 66-year-old was told he has apraxia of speech - a neurological condition which affects the brain pathways involved in planning the movements needed to speak.

Kamara, who is affectionately known as "Kammy" and renowned for his famous catchphrase "Unbelievable Jeff!", stepped back from live presenting in 2022 after fans noticed he was slurring his words.

Chris has been raising awareness at an event in Manchester and speaking about how the condition has affected him.

"You think exactly the same, but then the passage from the brain to the mouth is either non-existent or intermittent." he said.

"I would know exactly what I was saying, but the words wouldn't come out.

"It was terrifying at the time. People actually thought I was drunk or had had a stroke when I was doing my broadcasts."

Chris is now supporting the campaign group Mikey's Wish which aims to make speech and language therapy available to all children.

He said: "This is our first official Speech and Language Conference.

“We're aiming to get speech and language therapy for all children, and then we'll work on the adults after that, but the children need it first.

"It's important that we raise awareness.

"It took me almost two years to accept my condition and now it's my duty to help others

“The biggest plus that's come out of all this, is that I do have that platform to help other people."

Campaigner who spent 13 years learning to talk calls for better access to speech language therapy

Mikey's Wish was started by a then 13-year-old Mikey Akers, who himself has apraxia.

After being diagnosed at two-years-old, he had 13 years of Speech and Language Therapy (SLT), just to be able to communicate with others.

Now 23, he says he set up Mikey's Wish so other sufferers don't feel the isolation that he did.

"There was just nothing out there so I decided to start Mikey's Wish to help other families and children who are going through their journey to not feel the loneliness that I felt and that my mum felt," he said

Georgia Wilson from Sale in Greater Manchester agrees that more needs to be done to help children with speech problems.

Her six-year old Zach has had speech and language therapy to treat his apraxia, and it's made a big difference to his speech.

But it's come at a cost, his parents have had to find £10,000 for his private treatment.

She said: "It was really difficult to access help, but also needing a therapist with the right expertise for childhood apraxia of speech.

“It was really important that Zach was receiving the speech therapy so we actually funded a lot of it ourselves.

"We've done it as a family, one week his grandma pays, the next week maybe my mum pays, and me and my husband the week after, and that's how we've done it for the last couple of years.

"It's cost us around ten thousand pounds. The funding just isn't there."

Steve Jamieson, CEO of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, says there is a "massive problem'' due to a shortage of speech and language therapists".

"We have children waiting up to 52 weeks for an initial assessment, often that initial assessment takes place then the child goes on to a separate waiting list to then get treatment or therapy, so it may be even longer before that therapy starts.

"The impact on these children is massive. It has a major effect on their schooling, their basic communication skills and a huge impact on their families and their lives.

“ Their communication ability is so far behind other children at a similar age."

"What we are calling for is to train more speech and language therapists. We need to get more people into the profession." he said.