Man with locked-in syndrome writes book

Howard Wicks said it took him about 18 months to write 50,000 words

A man living with locked-in syndrome has written a book using an eye-driven communication device.

Howard Wicks, 29, who lives in Dartmouth, said every muscle in his body, excluding his eyes, was left paralysed following a stroke in 2011.

He said the rare neurological disorder "has profoundly impacted" his daily life.

Mr Wicks said the novel recounted the first four years of his life after the stroke.

Mr Wicks communicates using an eye-gazing technology

LISTEN: Howards Wicks tells his story to BBC Radio Devon

Mr Wicks said locked-in syndrome made every physical activity or job "impossible" and prevented him from impulsively communicating.

"It's one of the most agonizing and frustrating aspects of this condition," he said.

Mr Wicks said he has used an Eyegaze computer, a device which tracks his eye movements, to communicate with people around him and write his novel.

He said it took him about 18 months to write 50,000 words for the book.

"The initial chapter introduces the reader to my life before the stroke, allowing them to understand who I was," he said.

"The book concludes with my transition from the hospital setting to community life."

Mr Wicks said the aim was for the book to be the first instalment in a trilogy.

"The series spans from aged 16 to the present day," he said.