ONE morning Brent Todd woke up and felt pins and needles in his hands and feet.
Just 48 hours later the 30 year-old was lying paralysed in a John Hunter Hospital bed on a ventilator in the intensive care unit.
"I was perfectly fine one morning and the next I wasn't," he said.
The Maryland native was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) in June 2021, a rare disorder where the body's immune system damages nerves after sustaining a virus or infection.
In Mr Todd's case, he was suffering from Bronchitis just two weeks beforehand and little did he know that would lead him to having to learn how to walk again.
"I was ventilated for about five weeks, paralysis fully engaged my body. I couldn't breathe, move my eyes or talk," he said.
As his nerves started to regenerate, he was moved into the neurology ward for 10 days before being transferred to Rankin Park Hospital's rehabilitation unit.
"I was there for four-and-a-half months up until just before Christmas 2021 where I had intensive physio, occupational therapy and even a little bit of speech therapy," he said.
Coinciding with World Physical Therapy Day on September 8, Mr Todd reflected on how much physiotherapy has helped him.
"It gave me everything back," he said.
A huge motivator as he progressed his strength was being able to walk back down the aisle and dance with his wife at their wedding.
"It was always my goal and they helped me achieve that goal when I got married in May 2022," he said.
"We thought we were going to have to postpone our wedding but they helped me get the strength to stand up and be able to dance with my wife, it was super important to me. It was an emotional day."
From retaining muscle tone in the ICU to riding a bike, walking with a frame, walker and a crutch, Mr Todd started walking independently in November 2022.
"I can't thank my physios enough for everything, they've done from initial intensive care to throughout my time at Rankin Park, without their hard work and dedication to their jobs, I wouldn't have recovered as well as I have," he said.
Rankin Park Centre senior physiotherapist Aidan Vassallo said he spent four hours every day for four months, working with Mr Todd.
"At the point he came to us he was needing a sling hoist to lift him up out of bed and move him into a chair. He didn't have the strength to be able to stand up. He couldn't walk with any amount of assistance," he said.
But with the prognosis for his condition, Mr Vassallo said they knew Mr Todd had a very high chance at making a good recovery.
"We knew that it was going to take many months and a lot of work on Brent's part, but he went from that point to being able to walk with us," he said.
He said a highlight in one of Mr Todd's outpatient appointments was conducting dance practice.
"He was a bit surprised when I said 'We're doing some dancing practice today, you've got to be able to dance at your wedding' that was pretty special," he said.
He said being able to make a difference in someone's life was fantastic and that's why he enjoyed being a physiotherapist.
"Being a physio is a really rewarding job and we can make a big difference to people's lives, like Brent's and that's a pretty special thing."
