A man who was struck down with a mysterious illness has revealed how he was forced to tape his eyes shut to sleep as he battled the extreme symptoms.
Joe Beaver, 47, was looking forward to starting a new life in London after moving from his native Glasgow in June last year, with his wedding booked for October and being due to start a new job in December.
Mr Beaver, who had worked in retail for Tesco in Scotland, was hoping to continue as a ‘keen volunteer’ in a new setting, and with his wife organised a Christmas event at a pub in Brentford, west London, where he was to greet children as Santa. It was during that event that the newlywed man started to experience symptoms including dizziness and fatigue, and he fell asleep while still in his Santa suit.
By Boxing Day he realised his symptoms were much more serious than he thought. He and his wife had gone out to the cinema when Joe suddenly noticed his face was ‘totally frozen’.
He said: “My wife got concerned and we made an emergency appointment. I was kept in for two weeks and after that it was just test after test after test checking for Bell’s Palsy paralysis, and then they thought I had a serious form of cancer, which has since been ruled out. Months later I was still having constant blood tests, a bone marrow biopsy, and lumbar punctures.”
Doctors ruled out lymphoma in his central nervous system, although the step-dad is still undergoing tests for other causes of his sudden face paralysis. He also temporarily lost the ability to walk without external support and needed his wife to tape his eyes shut so he could sleep.
He said: “Having a paralysed face meant I couldn’t close my eyes, I couldn’t eat. I could only suck through a straw and even that was difficult.”
Mr Beaver had to take extended leave from his new job and was required to frequently travel from his home in Chiswick to a hostel in North West London for treatment. Without a vehicle and unable to take public transport, he heavily depended on taxis to travel to the hostel, leaving him to deal with increased expenses he was struggling to keep up with. Fortunately, Scott Illman, who runs the Magpie and Crown pub in Brentford, where Mr Beaver had held his Christmas event just before being stricken with illness, organised a crowdfunding campaign that raised over £2,500 to help with the costs.
Mr Beaver gradually began to regain his motor functions. He said: “At first I struggled to walk but with the help of my wife I was eventually able to go on short walks, and then suddenly one day, without telling her, I just threw my walking stick away and started to go out on my own.
“She used to tell me off for not telling her where I was going, especially when I attempted to go for a run. I used to run a lot and I wanted to see if I could run again, but unfortunately I can’t, not at the speed that I used to anyway. In time, hopefully, that’ll come back.”
Now Mr Beaver says the only thing he has to deal with is epilepsy, which he used to suffer from when he was a child but has since resumed. But, he adds, with medication, he is able to control the seizures. After being off work for eight months, he was able to return in August, although not quite in the role he had started off in last December.
He said: “Because of my illness I couldn’t continue with my role so my new employer decided to move me back over to the retail side of the company. In time I’d hope to return to the job I was doing.
“The people of Brentford were absolutely amazing. From the bottom of my heart, thanks to everyone from the Brentford community for the support, the love, the words of encouragement, the help towards the fundraiser, and a special thanks to Scott Illman for being a true champion of his community.”
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