A man left paralysed by a rare disease was cured after listening to The Carpenters.
A paralysed man was cured by The Carpenters
Ian Palmer suffered near-total paralysis and speech impairment after he was struck down by Guillain-Barre syndrome last June but says that listening to and singing the hits of the 'We've Only Just Begun' duo has helped him walk and talk again.
The 71-year-old spent seven months in hospital and was sceptical when medics suggested music therapy but his health has been transformed by working with his therapist Clare at the Sue Ryder Neurological Care Centre in Preston.
Palmer told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "When Sue Ryder first suggested music therapy I said, 'What good is that going to do?'
"But Clare explained the process. She asked me to sing a long note. When I tried, it was very staccato. Clare told me I needed to call on the diaphragm to assist. I said, 'I don't even know where that is!' But she educated me on how to breathe."
Palmer, who has now returned home, added: "Clare wanted something I could relax to and being of a certain age, The Carpenters was my choice.
"There's been such a positive impact - unless my family are telling fibs, they can understand me now."