Chris Kamara shared an update on his health with fans during an appearance on Monday’s episode of This Morning after being diagnosed with apraxia.
The 65-year-old former footballer suffers from limited mobility and speech as a result of the condition, but now admits he ‘doesn’t feel sorry for himself anymore’.
When asked by presenters Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley how he was doing, he said: ‘I’m doing great, I’ve got everything back except the speed of my voice.
“I have the fluidity, the brain when you want to talk, it doesn’t get interrupted anymore, it’s fluid. If you met me before you would think I always talk like that, but as he (Ben) knows. I would talk 300 miles an hour and not stop to think about what I had said, but now I have more time!”
Ben told viewers that Chris’ condition affects his balance and strength, while Chris said he finds it difficult to walk down stairs without the railing.
Chris Kamara shared an update on his health with his fans during an appearance on Monday’s episode of This Morning following his diagnosis with apraxia
The former footballer, 65, has suffered limited mobility and speech due to the condition, but now admits he ‘doesn’t feel sorry for himself anymore’
He added: ‘But that’s fine, I’m very happy with it. I can live with it, there’s always someone worse off than you. So I’m fine, I’m fine, I’m recovering. I don’t feel for myself anymore, which I did in the beginning, but now I’m recovering.’
Referring to Chris’ memoir, Kammy: My Unbelievable Life, Cat said she thinks a lot of people will relate to his story because they don’t want to admit that something isn’t right.
She said, ‘You don’t want to say it, even to the people you love the most. Then you realize that I actually need some help.’
He explained: ‘I apologised to my family who were 100 per cent behind me and knew what was going on. But in your own head you worry, you think you’re going to be a burden. You think the worst things in the world.
‘Once you get that out of your head, the only way to do that is to talk to people and get reassurance. The response I’ve had has been amazing, I thank everyone who seems to be reaching out and offering support.’
Chris recently said he will be eternally grateful to Kate Garraway for the help she has given him during this difficult time.
Chris hopes his third trip to Mexico for life-changing treatment will help him overcome his speech impediment.
Apraxia is a motor disorder caused by damage to the brain that severely impairs speech. He was diagnosed in 2021.
Ben told viewers how Chris’ condition affects his balance and strength, while Chris spoke about how difficult it is for him to walk down stairs without the railing (pictured April 2024)
When asked how he was doing by presenters Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley, he said: ‘I’m doing great, I’ve got everything back except the speed of my voice.
‘I have the fluency, the brains when you want to talk, it doesn’t get interrupted anymore, it’s fluent. If you met me before, you would think I always talk like that, but as he (Ben) knows…’
The diagnosis caused Chris to temporarily step back from many of his television commitments until he could learn to live with the diagnosis.
He credits his girlfriend Kate and her late husband Derek Draper, who lost his battle with COVID-19 in January, for inspiring him to seek help abroad, and is now confident he will soon be back where he was.
Chris has been to the NeuroCytonix clinic in Monterrey, Mexico twice for treatment and he hopes the third time will help him get back to his old self.
He said: ‘I know what it’s like to be isolated – and have very dark thoughts. When I was first diagnosed with my illness, I didn’t tell my wife, my family or my friends.
‘And when I told my truth, I suddenly got help from all kinds of people.
Kate Garraway was one such person who came to her aid after she took her late husband to Mexico for an experimental therapy not available in the UK.
‘I am so grateful for her support. I have been there twice now and have made real progress each time.
‘I hope my condition will improve even further if I book a third trip.’
He added: ‘I still have my bad days, but I think I’m 20% away from where I was, say, three and a half years ago.’
Founded in 2018, the NeuroCytonix clinic welcomes patients from around the world for experimental treatments and “innovative solutions to repair the brain and cure incurable diseases.”
Cerebral palsy, dramatic brain diagnosis, prolonged COVID brain fog and stroke are among their main treatments.
Chris admitted last year that he felt like an ‘imposter’ due to apraxia affecting his speech
Chris was speaking as he teamed up with Mercedes-Benz Vans to launch Vantasy Football, a mini-tournament to bring bus drivers together through team sport and improve mental wellbeing.
He hosts the event, which is exclusively for van drivers and takes place in August at St George’s Park, the English football training centre.
And after a 20-year playing career, which ended in 1995 with a short spell at Bradford City, the former midfielder knows how important sport can be.
“Spending time alone, not talking to people, it really impacts your mental health,” he revealed.
‘I know what isolation does to you. Sports is such an important part of my life and my recovery.
“The camaraderie of sports – being part of a team – is a great way to overcome loneliness.”
Chris previously shared that he once considered taking his own life because he struggled to cope with the diagnosis of apraxia.
The TV personality has developed into one of football’s most beloved and celebrated sports reporters during his career at Sky Sports.
In a new book titled ‘Kammy’, published in serial form by the Daily Mirror, Chris admits that in his darkest moments he considered taking his own life because he didn’t want to be a burden on his wife Anne.
“I’m going to confess something now, something I’ve never said before,” Chris wrote. “It’s hard for me to talk about, so bear with me.
“I was worried about where I would end up. Would my physical and neurological decline continue? And I was even more worried about the effect it would have on those around me.”
He added: ‘I am a man who has always wanted to help, provide, love and care for those around me. And now I could only see myself as a burden. A shadow of the man I used to be, that they had to take care of.’
‘Seeing myself like that was like staring into an abyss. I could never reconcile that image in my mind. It was unthinkable.’
“And then I think, ‘They’re better off without me.’”
For confidential support, call Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch. See www.samaritans.org for details.
The presenter and former footballer says Kate Garraway urged him to seek treatment in Mexico after she took her late husband for an experimental therapy not available in the UK
Former political lobbyist Derek lost his battle with COVID-19 in January, nearly four years after he was diagnosed with the respiratory disease