Chris Kamara has shared his hope of being cured of his speech apraxia after being introduced to a top doctor in the US.
The Sky Sports legend, 64, was forced to take a step back from many of his television roles after revealing his diagnosis earlier this year. The neurological condition affects the body’s motor functions and occurs when messages from the brain to the mouth are disrupted, causing issues with a person's speech.
One of the country’s most beloved football pundits, Kammy returned to hosting duties on Ninja Warrior UK last week, despite the condition which can make his voice appear slurred. He has tried several treatments in the UK, including hypnotherapy, using an oxygen tent, and having microcurrents through his brain.
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Now Kammy has shared his hope of beating the condition after speaking with a doctor in the US. He said: “I’ve just been introduced to the best neurologist in America and he said because I have good days, there’s no reason why I can’t be cured.
“I’ve sent off a load of blood tests and everything to America and I’m just waiting on the results.”
Kammy, who stepped down from his iconic Sky Sports role earlier this year, added: “I wouldn’t say I’m more than 60 per cent the old me – but I was 20 per cent.”
The Middlesbrough-born former footballer appeared on Steven Bartlett’s Diary of a CEO podcast last week, where he became visibly emotional as he revealed the condition made him feel “like a fraud” and caused him to consider quitting all his television work.
“It feels like someone has taken over my voice box,” Chris explained. “The voice that used to come out would come out at 300 miles an hour, you’ve seen me on the results and Soccer Saturday, motormouth, talking and not even waiting for a breath, just keep going and going.
“Now when I hear myself or see myself on TV it’s someone else. It’s really strange.”
As well as continuing his work on Ninja Warrior, Kammy is still able to present Channel 5’s Cash in the Attic. He also hosts a BBC podcast with Good Morning Britain’s Ben Shephard, entitled Kammy & Ben’s Proper Football Podcast.
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