Teenager learns to walk again after stroke

Gabriel Suarez says he was horse riding before he was taken to hospital where doctors found a bleed on the brain

A teenager who suffered a stroke five years ago has finally learned how to walk again without crutches.

Gabriel Suarez, 18, was left unable to see, talk, eat, or move any part of his body, when he suffered a stroke while horse-riding in his home country of Argentina at the age of 13.

But now, after trying treatments and rehabilitation in Argentina and the United States, he has managed to walk again, thanks to experts at a rehabilitation centre in Norwich

"I always had that hope that I will walk... but I didn't know now was the moment," he said.

Gabriel spent a year in hospital with his mother Yubel, four hours away from his father and sister.

After searching for answers to help him walk again, his mother found Able2B, a community interest company that aims to improve function for children and adults with a disability, on social media.

The centre was set up by consultant orthopaedic surgeon Rachael Hutchinson and former boxer and personal trainer Jon Thaxton.

When he first arrived at the centre about six weeks ago, Gabriel was very dependent on crutches, Ms Hutchinson said.

"He was in a state of a massive lack of self-confidence... a lot of stumbling blocks, and then the added one... that is English is not his first language," she said.

But on his second day at the centre, he was standing without crutches.

Sessions of boxing, physiotherapy, gym work and time in a spa pool followed, and over the next few weeks, he managed to walk up to 40m (130ft).

Gabriel says on his second day at Able2B, he was walking without his crutches

He is due to fly home to Argentina, which will be the first time his father has seen him walk without crutches.

"We are all emotional as he heads back over the next couple of days," said Ms Hutchinson.

"We are massively proud."

Gabriel said he had been determined to get better.

"I didn't want to give up. Physiotherapy is sometimes boring... I prefer playing football or riding horses," he said.

"It was discipline day by day and going, thinking I had to recover. If I don't go and I miss one day, then it's less improvement."]

When he returns home, he hopes to continue his recovery and rehabilitation.

"I want to recover 100%. It will take time, I know that," he said.

"My future now, at first I want to start riding horses... it's something I miss a lot."