Latest news with #neurologicalcondition
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Wendy Williams' Guardianship Upheld as Medical Exam is Completed
Wendy Williams' Guardianship Upheld as Medical Exam is Completed originally appeared on Daytime Confidential. The medical evaluation of former talk show host Wendy Williams has been completed and her current guardianship will continue as-is for now. People magazine is reporting that several tests were administered to Williams. These included included neuropsychological and medical tests, along with scans to her brain, with doctors giving an 'opinion' on her diagnosis and neurological condition. Williams' court-appointed guardian, Sabrina Morrissey, has asked the court to extend the guardianship until Nov. 5. She claimed 'complications have arisen' regarding the conservatorship. Williams' family members want to challenge the guardianship and Morrissey's tenure as guardian. Williams' ex-husband Kevin Hunter has petitioned for a new guardian to replace Morrissey. In June, Hunter filed a lawsuit against the guardianship. He doesn't want it to end but wants to have a 'new impartial guardian'; he also requests that a forensic accountant review Williams' finances and requests $250 million in relief for financial loss, reputational damage and harm, emotional distress, legal expenses, and deprivation of liberty. This story was originally reported by Daytime Confidential on Aug 13, 2025, where it first appeared. Solve the daily Crossword
Daily Mail
07-08-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Tourettes sufferer who yelled 'f*** the Queen' in front of the late monarch reveals Her Majesty's surprising response
There was a time when swearing at the monarch would have resulted in being sent straight to the Tower. But thankfully compassion rather than beheading was more in vogue when youth worker John Davidson met the late Queen Elizabeth II - and suddenly blurted out some rather choice words in the process. 'F*** the Queen!' he shouted, just as she handed him a much-coveted MBE at Holyrood in 2019. But rather than flinching, the Queen remained 'kind' and 'as calm and assured as my granny', adding the Monarch had been well-briefed on his daily experience of living with Tourette's Syndrome, he told The Times. The neurological condition, characterised by a combination of involuntary noises and movements called tics, affects roughly one in 100 children, according to NHS England. More commonly, those with the condition are known to repeat their own or others' words, but around 10 per cent are affected by Coprolalia - otherwise known as sudden outbursts of swearing. In an ironic way, it was for the very reason he turns the air blue that John came to be awarded an MBE - for he has worked tirelessly over the years to heighten awareness of the condition. Today he is acknowledged as the leading national campaigner for Tourette's Syndrome. Recalling the 'proudest' moment of his life when he was handed his MBE, John revealed that on the day, aside from swearing at the Queen, he experienced a compulsion to tell police officers at Holyrood Palace that he had 'a f***ing bomb!' as they routinely checked his vehicle. He also shouted 'I'm a paedo!' as he walked down the corridor of the historic palace. John, of Galashiels, Scotland, said: 'The tic urge often comes when I'm anxious, stressed or tired and then it's an exhausting mental battle telling myself, "John, that's the absolute worst thing you could do in this moment," and then trying not to do it.' Thankfully, the Monarch reacted just in the right way when John's condition struck at the very moment of meeting her. He added: 'I never thought I'd even have a life, let alone be able to help people and get recognised for it.' WHAT IS TOURETTE'S SYNDROME? Tourette's syndrome is a neurological condition characterised by a combination of involuntary noises and movements called tics. It usually starts during childhood and continues into adulthood. Tics can be either be vocal or physical. In many cases Tourette's syndrome runs in families and it's often associated with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Tourette's syndrome is named after the French doctor, Georges Gilles de la Tourette, who first described the syndrome and its symptoms in the 19th century. There's no cure for Tourette's syndrome, but treatment can help to control the symptoms. His anecdote about the late Queen comes as a new memoir and film, both aptly-called I Swear, are set to be released in October. It charts his experience being diagnosed as a youngster and his involvement in a 1989 BBC documentary called John's Not Mad. The ground-breaking film shone a spotlight on Tourette's and propelled John into an unexpected role in life to become an advocate for others. Working alongside Tourette's Action and Tourette Scotland, John has since given hundreds of public talks, visited schools and run workshops to help those living with the condition.
The Independent
18-07-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
We're the first people in history to cross the Alps in wheelchairs – here's what we learnt
On the banks of Lake Geneva in late June, Ben Spencer and Peter Smorthit looked out towards the Alpine peaks. Over the next 18 days, the friends would embark on a 262 mile-journey across one of Europe's most extreme landscapes, reaching heights of 6,500 metres. Unlike other hikers, however, they would be setting themselves apart – by becoming the first to make the journey using only manual wheelchairs. Their aim was to inspire other wheelchair users to take on more outdoor activities, all the while raising awareness of a rare neurological condition Ben has called progressive cerebellar ataxia. 'Coming from a point where I didn't want to travel, to doing this, has been a big journey. It's shown me – and I hope other disabled people – that you can do it,' Ben said, reflecting on the colossal expedition. Ben was only diagnosed in 2022 after experiencing symptoms for 15 years. Since then, Ben has been raising awareness of the condition by competing in the London Marathon, as well as enduring a 16-and-a-half-hour journey up Mount Snowdon in 2023. After summiting the Welsh peak, however, it was time to take on an even larger challenge. Hence the trip to the Alps to raise awareness for Ataxia UK, a charity which researches treatments for the condition. Not long into starting their journey in Vevey, Switzerland, the pair were hit by an 'absolutely brutal' heatwave. It meant the extreme climbs of the Rhône Valley took two days, which was much longer than expected. After that, the temperatures started to drop, but the challenges continued. The athletes used EuroVelo routes through the Alps, which are designed for cyclists. The network comprises a mixture of roads, cycle paths, and trails, but a few says into the journey, the pair came across a less-accessible rough gravel track, complete with stones, boulders and tree roots. At that point, Peter had no choice but to drag himself up the hill, pulling his chair behind him for over a kilometre. The athlete had drawn on this sort of determination before. Peter sustained a spinal cord injury at the age of 19 following a scaffold collapse on a building site, and is now paraplegic. In the years since, he has completed over 200 marathons and 150 ultramarathons, all from his wheelchair, and last year pushed himself from Land's End to John O'Groats. How to do it Ben and Peter's journey was an extreme challenge, and they recommend that wheelchair-users who want to replicate their journey undergo some extensive preparation beforehand. Peter advises hill-training, while Ben explained they also built up their stamina by doing multiple marathons over a year. Yet this level of groundwork is not necessary for every trip to the region. 'People in wheelchairs can certainly go out to the Alps and enjoy themselves,' Ben said. Along their route, the pair discovered some remarkably beautiful, wheelchair-friendly routes. The Wysswasser Trail, in Switzerland, was a particular favourite – maintained as part of the Switzerland Mobility scheme. And Zugspitze, the highest mountain in Germany, can be summited via accessible cable car. The reality of accessible travel Ben and Peter stopped at campsites along the way, staying in a campervan. While a few of the facilities along the route were sufficient, some did not have the requisite disabled toilets or washrooms. They found that even though some were labelled as accessible, they were not optimal for wheelchair-users. At a site in France, Ben found the water was stone cold. He had to find someone to turn on the hot water, believing it was likely left off as standard. Other elements of travelling can be intimidating, too. Ben explained that when he first started using a wheelchair, he was scared of getting on a plane with all the equipment because he thought it could be easily damaged. 'The barriers to travel for disabled people are physical, they're mental, and they're psychological. 'You're leaving the comfort of your environment and what you know is safe at home,' Ben said. 'If you can mentally prepare yourself that there are going to be issues, you get used to accepting that there are going to be barriers, and that gets you halfway. 'There shouldn't be barriers. The world should be accessible. But the reality is you have to overcome those.' The financial implications can also be prohibitive. 'When I look at disabled travel adventures, the cost is just enormous,' Ben explained. Peter agrees, and advises would-be adventurers to create their own holiday package rather than relying on ready-made options. The next adventure On 8 July, over two and a half weeks since they set off, Ben and Peter reached the finish line at Lake Como, Italy. This was not, however, the end of the journey. For their next challenge, the pair are considering crossing Canada or heading from northern to southern Europe in their wheelchairs. But for now the athletes hope their journey has motivated others to see what they are capable of. As Peter explains: 'It wasn't just to change ourselves, but to change people's perceptions of what's possible from a wheelchair.'
Telegraph
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
The Salt Path author's next book delayed after embezzlement row
The publisher of The Salt Path has said the release of the author's next book will be delayed after 'intrusive conjecture' about her husband's health. Raynor Winn's story, which has been adapted into a film starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs, tells how she and Moth, her husband, walked the South West Coast Path after losing their home. The memoir also recounts how Moth was diagnosed with a neurological condition. However, The Observer newspaper claimed that Winn may have misrepresented the events that led to the couple losing their home and that experts had doubts over Moth having corticobasal degeneration (CBD). Winn's next book, On Winter Hill, will now be delayed, according to a statement issued on Friday from Penguin, which published The Salt Path in 2018. A spokesman for Penguin said: 'Given recent events, in particular intrusive conjecture around Moth's health condition, which has caused considerable distress to Raynor Winn and her family, it is our priority to support the author at this time. 'With this in mind, Penguin Michael Joseph, together with the author, has made the decision to delay the publication of On Winter Hill from this October. 'We will announce a new publication date in due course.' The truth of Winn's story was thrown into question last week by an investigation by The Observer, which claimed she lost her home after stealing £64,000 from her former employers, Ros and Martin Hemmings. She avoided criminal charges by paying back the money in a settlement, The Observer said. It also suggested that Moth did not suffer from CBD, which is central to the events in the memoir. Winn has subsequently issued a lengthy statement responding to the claims, and admitted that she 'deeply regrets' certain 'mistakes' made in her past. She admitted she was questioned by police over an allegation Mr Hemmings made, but was never charged. She wrote: 'I worked for Martin Hemmings in the years before the economic crash of 2008. For me, it was a pressured time. It was also a time when mistakes were being made in the business. 'Any mistakes I made during the years in that office, I deeply regret, and I am truly sorry. 'Mr Hemmings made an allegation against me to the police, accusing me of taking money from the company. I was questioned, I was not charged, nor did I face criminal sanctions. 'I reached a settlement with Martin Hemmings because I did not have the evidence required to support what happened. The terms of the settlement were willingly agreed by both parties.'
The Independent
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Salt Path author's next book delayed after ‘intrusive conjecture'
The publisher of The Salt Path has said the release of the author's next book will be delayed after 'intrusive conjecture' about her husband's health. Raynor Winn's story, now a film starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs, tells how she and her husband, Moth, walked the South West Coast Path after losing their home. The memoir also recounts how Moth was diagnosed with a neurological condition, but The Observer newspaper reported that Winn may have misrepresented the events that led to the couple losing their home and that experts had doubts over Moth having corticobasal degeneration (CBD). In a statement on Friday, Penguin Michael Joseph, which published The Salt Path in 2018, said Winn's next book, On Winter Hill, which was due to be published in October, will now be delayed. A spokeswoman for the publisher said: 'Given recent events, in particular intrusive conjecture around Moth's health condition, which has caused considerable distress to Raynor Winn and her family, it is our priority to support the author at this time. 'With this in mind, Penguin Michael Joseph, together with the author, have made the decision to delay the publication of On Winter Hill from this October. 'We will announce a new publication date in due course.' The Observer said the couple's legal names are Sally and Timothy Walker. On Wednesday, Winn defended her memoir against claims parts of it were fabricated, posting clinic letters on Instagram addressed to Timothy Walker, which she said showed that 'he is treated for CBD/S and has been for many years'. She wrote: 'The last few days have been some of the hardest of my life. Heart breaking accusations that Moth has made up his illness have been made, leaving us devastated.' In a statement on her website, she said that the article was 'grotesquely unfair, highly misleading and seeks to systematically pick apart my life'. She added: 'The Salt Path is about what happened to Moth and me, after we lost our home and found ourselves homeless on the headlands of the south west. 'It's not about every event or moment in our lives, but rather about a capsule of time when our lives moved from a place of complete despair to a place of hope. 'The journey held within those pages is one of salt and weather, of pain and possibility. And I can't allow any more doubt to be cast on the validity of those memories, or the joy they have given so many.' In The Salt Path, the couple lose their house due to a bad business investment, but The Observer reported that the couple lost their home after an accusation that Winn had stolen thousands of pounds from her employer. Publishing house Penguin previously said it 'undertook all the necessary pre-publication due diligence', including a contract with an author warranty about factual accuracy and a legal read. It added: 'Prior to the Observer enquiry, we had not received any concerns about the book's content.'
