Latest news with #invisibleDisabilities
BBC News
4 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
'Tennis helped me come to terms with Usher syndrome diagnosis'
Each year Neil Bamford has to face the reality that his eyesight could deteriorate a little more. At just 19 years old, he was diagnosed with Usher syndrome, a progressive condition that affects hearing, vision and balance."For me it's been so slow - it's that narrowing effect on your life," said the 53-year-old, who now only has partial sight in one eye and uses hearing aids. While he did not realise it at the time, his diagnosis would eventually lead him to a new passion in life, tennis. Neil, from Liverpool, has shared his story as part of BBC North West Tonight's six-part series about living with invisible disabilities and former first aid and lifeguard trainer, who has been wearing hearing aids since the age of six, first started to notice issues with his eye sight when he was 12 years old. But it was another seven years before his diagnosis was confirmed. "It was horrendous, absolutely horrendous," said Neil."My mum went with me and she was crying her eyes out when they told me because, that was the other thing back then, nobody could tell you anything."It would be 'you're going to lose your sight but we can't tell you when'."More than 400,000 people are estimated to have Usher syndrome across the world, according to the Usher Syndrome said he struggled to accept the news: "I just went into denial, isolation and stayed there for an awfully long time."It's thinking, well, I used to be able to do that last year, this summer the sun is affecting me an awful lot more, this winter I'm absolutely dreading it because it will be worse than the last one."Every year I realise something else has progressed." But he said his life began to open up again after discovering Bradbury Fields - a charity which helps blind, and partially sighted people, and those with dual sensory impairments to achieve their the charity, Neil found tennis, which he has credited with helping him come to terms with his condition."I didn't pick up a racket until 2017 and that was just a taster session on these courts. [I'd given] up on sport," he said"Your sight starts to deteriorate, and you think, 'oh, that's it'."As narrow as my life became, when I acknowledged that it was an issue and I sought help, then my life started opening up again."As his love of the sport grew, Neil decided to start competing. "In 2019, I thought 'right I'll give the regionals a go'," he said. "I won the regionals - I was in total shock and I've been competing ever since. "I've been in the GB squad for five years, played at Wimbledon twice. "It's opened so many doors."Neil's story features in a special six-part BBC North West Tonight series about invisible disabilities and conditions. You can watch it on BBC One in the Northwest of England and the Isle of Man from 18:30 BST on Wednesday 9 July. It will also be available on the BBC iPlayer. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
BBC News
6 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Paralympian Archie Atkinson ignored teacher to chase cycling dream
As a teenager, Archie Atkinson could not believe it when one of his teachers told him to quit cycling because it would apparently never amount to with the backing of his parents, the 16-year-old instead decided to leave college and pursue his dreams in the sport he now 20-year-old Paralympian, from Heaton Moor in Stockport, Greater Manchester, said to hear that as a 16-year-old was "pretty hard"."To be told your dreams mean nothing, and what you wanted since you were a little kid was worthless... so I left college the next day," Atkinson said. That single-minded determination, not to mention a desire to prove a point, has certainly paid off."Less than a year later I won my first world championships," said Atkinson."So I sent her a nice email... but I'm sill waiting on a response."Atkinson has shared his story as part of BBC North West Tonight's six-part series about living with invisible disabilities and 20-year-old, who has cerebral palsy, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism, grew up around cycling and enjoyed many family bike rides as a child. His first experience of riding on a track came when he was 10 years old, under the tutelage of Olympic champion Sir Chris it was not until a chance encounter with double Paralympic gold medallist Ben Watson while on a ride with his father in 2021 that he truly decided to pursue his cycling dreams. Atkinson discovered he was eligible for para-cycling and was accepted on to the British Cycling Foundation a year, he was promoted to its world-class performance programme. "The Paralympics is a whole manner of disabilities," said Atkinson. "It's pretty cool."He thinks there is considerable ignorance though."I was recently at an event in America and you tell them 'I'm a Paralympian' and the first thing they do is look you up and down and try to find your disability."I can understand it. I don't look disabled from the outside, but it's quite hurtful because you're questioning 'is that person disabled'?"Atkinson said he really struggled at school and was "bullied pretty much for four years during high school".He said: "I used to do para football for quite a while and they found out where I trained. "They would film it, post it on social media, use sort of disabled slurs under some stuff."Atkinson said those tough experiences had made him the person he is today."It's built a character that helps in elite sport, as I'm a bit more tough."He said his conditions "don't change who I am. It's a written thing on a piece of paper from a doctor but to have it – I'm proud of it."I wouldn't be me without it so there's no reason to hide it." Atkinson's experiences are echoed by fellow cyclist Kiera 27-year-old, from Bolton, said she only felt safe from the bullies at school when she was hiding in a toilet cubicle. A decade on, she has five world championships to her name. "Sport has been a lifeline that has helped me to be able to accept who I am and make me happy of who I am," said said cycling had also helped her to connect with people."I have grown as a person, picking up lifelong skills," she said. Sport has opened so many doors for winning six Special Olympics gold medals, she serves on both the competition's International and Great Britain Board of Directors. The Special Olympics, in which people with intellectual disabilities from around the world compete, were founded in has autism, a learning disability and Rubinstein Taybi Syndrome - a condition which affects people in different ways and to varying degrees, according to the RTS Support Group."Just having a diagnosis and labels sometimes is difficult because people only see the labels on the paper, they don't see you as a person," she said. Byland is determined to help others who are also living with disabilities and conditions which are not immediately obvious. "I always say, I like to be the person that I wish I had when I was younger."If you're in a dark place right now, in school, and you're struggling with academics, there is a different way."Life doesn't have to be in one direction. "You can make your own path and thrive and survive in many ways."Archie Atkinson and Kiera Byland feature in a special six-part BBC North West Tonight series about invisible disabilities and conditions. You can watch it on BBC One in the Northwest of England and the Isle of Man from 18:30 BST on Monday 7 July. It will also be available on the BBC iPlayer. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
BBC News
03-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
I feel judged when I use my blue badge, says Crohn's patient
Amy White says she cannot remember a time when she was not struggling with severe pain. The 31-year-old psychotherapist was diagnosed with Crohn's disease when she was 18. As well as coping with the chronic condition and its associated health challenges every day, Amy says she often feels judged by strangers. "I have had lots of people looking at me funny because I'm using a blue badge," says Amy, from Ramsbottom in Greater Manchester."They probably think 'She looks fine - what does she need that for?' but I have it because I'm in a lot of pain or I need urgent access to the toilet." 'Really lonely' Amy, who also has arthritis and uveitis - a rare condition that causes inflammation inside part of the eye - is sharing her experiences as part of a six-part BBC North West Tonight series about invisible disabilities and wants to help others living with conditions which are not immediately obvious."I don't really remember not living in pain," explains Amy."It's definitely difficult, but I think because I've had it from being so young, this is my 'normal'."I think it can feel really lonely. "I've lost a lot of friends because people don't always understand that I can't do something. Crohn's disease is a long-term condition in which part of the gut becomes inflamed. There is currently no describes the ongoing impact it has on her life."I'm in severe pain," she says. "I'm often bent over, crying, nearly fainting when I'm on the toilet. It's exhausting."She says having to disclose her condition to employers "can feel hard - it often feels quite embarrassing even though it shouldn't be an embarrassing thing to talk about". Fellow Crohn's disease patient Danny Warren, from Stockport, has spent the majority of the last six months in says it was "touch and go" as to whether he would a 43-year-old interior designer, was diagnosed with Crohn's when he was 15, having struggled with its symptoms from the age of eight."Some days I physically can't get out of bed," says Danny, who has so far needed nine operations. "You feel like you lose your identity and it's almost like Crohn's takes over."I've currently got a stoma as a result of my last surgery. That's one of the things I struggle with the most in fairness."You go on Instagram and you see people with stomas and them saying 'It's changed my life, I'm not in any pain anymore' and they have names for [their bag]."It makes me really happy that they're in that position but I'd genuinely prefer to be in pain every day and not have it. "I do really struggle with it. I don't want it, don't like it."I can't wait to have more surgery and hopefully get rid of it." Danny says he has faced similar situations to Amy. "You will always get funny looks [when using the disabled toilet]," he explains. "Recently, we were in the Trafford Centre and, as I was coming out, there was a chap with a lady who was in a wheelchair."As I walked out the bathroom, I held the door for the gentleman so he could obviously get his wife or partner or whoever it was through and he just turned around and said 'There is a normal toilet you can use, you know'."Why are Amy and Danny sharing their stories and experiences?Neither wants sympathy. Rather, both want to raise awareness of Crohn's disease and other invisible illnesses and disabilities. Amy and Danny's experiences feature in a special six-part BBC North West Tonight series about invisible disabilities and conditions. You can watch it on BBC One in the Northwest of England and the Isle of Man from 18:30 BST on Thursday 3 July. It will also be available on the BBC iPlayer. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
