Latest news with #Alix
The Independent
3 days ago
- General
- The Independent
A father-of-two assumed tingling in his hands was pins and needles. One week later, he was paralysed
A father-of-two who assumed a tingling sensation in his hands was just pins and needles woke up paralysed a few days later – and couldn't even close his eyes for weeks. Luke Pickering, a mechanic from Nottingham, went to work as normal when he first noticed the strange sensation in his hands. The next day it had progressed to his toes and despite trying to carry on as normal, he soon took a turn for the worse. 'I was carrying my eldest down the stairs and I just felt weak, and I thought I was going to drop him,' Mr Pickering told the Independent. He insisted that he was still able to go to work but his partner Alix, 31, realised he wasn't well and took him to A&E where he was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) – a rare condition where the immune system begins to attack the nervous system. From that moment in November 2023, Mr Pickering did not return home for another 94 days. 'I thought I'd be coming back out soon, but as the week progressed, I just got weaker and weaker. I went from using crutches to being put into a full hoist. I couldn't do anything for myself,' he said. 'I was paralysed from the head down. Even my face was paralysed so I had to sleep with my eyes open for three weeks.' Normally triggered by a virus infection, the condition usually causes tingling, numbness, or pins and needles in the arms and legs first before the symptoms spread to other parts of the body, causing muscle weakness. However, Mr Pickering did not recall having any colds, fevers or stomach bugs before his symptoms hit. The condition, which affects around 1,300 people in the UK a year, is treated through immunotherapy including intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and plasma exchange. Mr Pickering had IVIG, but his condition continued to deteriorate so doctors decided to transfer him to the Intensive Care Unit at NUH's City Hospital. 'I could feel myself getting worse. I prepared myself to say my goodbyes to my family, but I wasn't willing to say it. I just said 'see you later,'' he added. Mr Pickering was visited by his partner, their two-year-old son and their newborn baby every day and was determined to get better for them. He said: 'I was really hard on myself at the time, but the only way I was going to be happy was by getting home. I was determined to get out and walk again.' The third round of IVIG and a blood plasma transfusion worked allowing Mr Pickering to start recovery at the Linden Lodge rehabilitation unit in Nottingham just before Christmas. There he had speech and language therapy and learnt how to walk again. Recalling feeling 'terrified' to stand and walk again, he said: 'I knew my body wasn't ready for it, but you just have to keep doing it.' Eventually in February 2024, Mr Pickering learnt to walk again and now a year after coming home, he is living an almost normal life again, including being back fixing cars and tractors in his job as a mechanic. Although he still can't feel his toes, Mr Pickering said he is grateful for the treatment he received. However, the small risk of his condition relapsing still hangs over him. 'If I wake up in the middle of the night with pins and needles, that's it. I'm awake all night because I think it's happening again,' he explained. Following his recovery Mr Pickering has also become a patient ambassador for the National Rehabilitation Centre (NRC), a brand new 70-bed rehab facility. In his voluntary ambassador role, Mr Pickering will support other patients going through similar rehabilitation. Talking about his role at the centre, he said: 'I just wanted to give back. When I was going through it, I wanted someone with a positive outcome to just talk to.'
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
' I found a family that not only gave me a home but also believed in me'
A young woman who was fostered from the age of 15 said she was so lucky to have found a family that believed in. Codie has spoken about how being fostered helped her to look to the future to raise awareness of the need for families to step forward and help people like her. Bolton's independent fostering agency, Next Stage for Fostering, has highlighting two stories of two foster families, as well as Codie who has benefited from care to highlight the differences wanting to foster can make. The individuals were inspired to begin fostering for different reasons, but what unites them all is the fact they changed the course of young children's lives by opening their homes. The stories aim to inspire an interest from Boltonians, as more carers are urgently needed to provide children in care with a loving, stable home. Codie (Image: Supplied) Codie entered foster care at the age of 15, when she was considered "lucky" to have found not just a loving home, but one she could share with her two younger siblings. The stability this gave her allowed Codie to think ahead of her future and now at the age of 22, she is studying for a degree as she works towards a career in social care. She said: "I know how lucky I am. "So many teenagers struggle to find foster placements, but I found a family that not only gave me a home but also believed in me every step of the way. "Without them, I would not be where I am today. "They have made a real difference in my life, and I will always be grateful for that." She was fostered by Alix and Lisa – a couple that have been fostering for some time and requested fostering siblings to avoid them being separated. Alix and Lisa (Image: Supplied) Alix said: "Fostering is not just about offering a roof over someone's head – it is about giving them a family, a future and a sense of belonging." Lisa said: "They have all now achieved massive milestones, including Codie learning to drive, going to university and getting a degree. "It has been amazing to watch them thrive and support them all along their individual journeys." Another family that started fostering is Kirsten and Dave. Kirsten, Dave and the children (Image: Supplied) They did this alongside raising their own children, unsure of the impact it would have on their family. Kirsten and Dave said: "At first, we were nervous about how it might affect our own children, but it has only brought us closer. "They have learned patience, empathy and resilience. "They have seen first-hand the difference a stable, loving home can make in a child's life, and they feel proud to be part of that change." According to the Fostering Network, more than 6,500 foster families are urgently needed across England. Next Stage for Fostering said: "Alix, Lisa, Kirsten and Dave prove that fostering is more than just providing children a home – it is about offering security, care and a sense of belonging."
Bloomberg
14-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Bloomberg Intelligence: Boeing Wins Largest-Ever Order as Qatar Buys Long-Range Jets
Watch Alix and Paul LIVE every day on YouTube: Bloomberg Intelligence hosted by Paul Sweeney and Alix Steel Today's Podcast Features are: Sid Philip, Deputy Team Leader for Global Aviation, discusses Boeing signing an accord with Qatar Airways for up to 210 widebody aircraft, including the 787 Dreamliner and 777X model, in a deal valued at $96 billion. The agreement is a major win for Boeing, Qatar Airways, and President Donald Trump, who witnessed the signing ceremony and congratulated Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg on the record-breaking order. Sean O'Hara, President of Pacer ETFs, joins the show to talk about ETF investing, markets, and current flows. Sean says three key headwinds have been pressuring markets: tariffs, tax policy, and Federal Reserve uncertainty. Recent progress in U.S.-China tariff negotiations removes a major source of uncertainty. Sean says markets are responding to improved clarity in trade policy and economic outlook. Anticipation that Congress will advance tax-related legislation also contributes to positive sentiment. Joe Mastrangelo, CEO of Eos Energy Enterprises, discusses energy storage systems. He discusses American energy policy, energy innovation, and company performance and growth, Austin Carr, Bloomberg Technology Reporter, discusses the Bloomberg Big Take story: DeepSeek's 'Tech Madman' Threatens US Dominance of AI.' Description: DeepSeek's sudden emergence illustrates how China's industry is thriving despite Washington's efforts to slow it down.
Bloomberg
05-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Bloomberg Intelligence: Warren Buffet to Retire, Tyson Earnings (Correct)
*corrects audio* Watch Alix and Paul LIVE every day on YouTube: Bloomberg Intelligence hosted by Paul Sweeney and Alix Steel Today's Podcast Features are: Matthew Palazola, Bloomberg Intelligence, Senior Analyst, P&C Insurance, discusses Berkshire CEO Warren Buffet retiring. Berkshire Hathaway Inc. followed Warren Buffett's recommendation, naming Vice Chairman Greg Abel to replace the billionaire as CEO, effective Jan. 1. Jennifer Bartashus, Bloomberg Intelligence Senior Analyst, Retail Staples & Packaged Food, discusses Tyson Foods earnings. Tyson Foods' shares dropped after the company reported stronger-than-expected quarterly earnings, as investors focused on the company's deepening losses in its beef business. Enda Curran, Bloomberg Global Economy Reporter, discusses President Donald Trump suggesting that his administration could strike trade deals with some countries as soon as this week, offering the prospect of relief for trading partners seeking to avoid higher US import duties. Michael McKee, Bloomberg International Economics and Policy Correspondent, discusses U.S economic data. The ISM survey prices paid jumped to 65.1, far higher than the 61.4 expected by economists. It's the highest print since early 2023, when inflation was slowing after the pandemic supply shock.
Bloomberg
01-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Bloomberg Intelligence: GM Slashes Guidance, Kohl's Fires CEO
Watch Alix and Paul LIVE every day on YouTube: Bloomberg Intelligence hosted by Paul Sweeney and Alix Steel Today's Podcast Features are: David Welch, Bloomberg Detroit Bureau Chief, discusses General Motors cutting its full-year profit outlook due to as much as $5 billion of exposure to auto tariffs, among the biggest financial hits revealed by any company so far from President Donald Trump's trade war. Mary Ross Gilbert, Bloomberg Intelligence, Senior Equity Analyst, Covering Retail, discusses Kohl's saying its' board terminated CEO Ashley Buchanan due to undisclosed conflicts of interest. An investigation conducted by outside counsel and overseen by Audit Committee of board determined Buchanan violated company policies by directing company to engage in vendor transactions that involved undisclosed conflicts of interest. David Kirkpatrick, Founder of Techonomy, discusses tech earnings. Meta Platforms Inc. shares jumped after the company's advertising sales quelled Wall Street concerns about the impact of the Trump administration's trade war, with first-quarter revenue beating expectations. Marci McGregor, Head of Portfolio Strategy for the CIO, at Merrill and Bank of America Private Bank, discusses her market outlook. Technology companies are powering US stocks on Thursday after the latest batch of robust earnings, with major indexes close to erasing losses sparked by the tariff shock that rattled markets just weeks ago.
