Suffolk man walks un-aided for the first time in nearly a decade thanks to new tech
Rory Marriott was diagnosed with MS nearly 10 years ago.
Last updated 20th Apr 2023
A Suffolk man walks un-aided for the first time in nearly a decade.
Rory Marriott was diagnosed with MS nearly 10 years ago.
The MS has resulted in Rory losing mobility in his left hand and he is unable to move his feel without using his arms. Rory is able to walk for short periods of time with assistance but prefers to use his wheelchair.
He saw the Mollii suit online, which sends electrical signals to the user and went to try it. He went for an assessment on Wednesday 22nd March 2023.
Rory told us what it was like when he first got the diagnosis
"I was given my diagnosis, which was.'You have primary progressive multiple sclerosis.' And from that point onwards - My life changed...Quite dramatically.
"At that stage, whilst I had a very rough idea what M.S. is.
"I didn't know it in any real detail. And at that stage for me, if somebody gives you a diagnosis of a condition that you're not really sure about, you think you know a little bit about it, and so it was very much a case of, going from having a very positive outlook on life- To have an incredibly negative one...
"This is something that's going to completely change my entire life and everything I do.
"So initially it was a big shock. And my mind went down the problematic route. "
How MS affects him
Rory explained how MS impacts him and his day to day life and mobility.
"One of the major conditions I have as a MS-er is that I have spasticity in both my hips and what that means is that some of the muscles are in spasm 24/7 so there is a lot of pain there all the time.
"And I said to people, for me, it would be worth it if all it did was give me half an hour a day, where I didn't have any pain.
"That on its own, is something that is worthwhile for me. Of just having a time almost where I could sit down and think and not worry about the amount of pain I'm in.
"The pain is always debilitating. It's just that I've gotten to a stage now where I'm used to the amount of pain.
"It's the norm for me. I just have to get on with it."
Although Rory does have the option to take muscled relaxers, he told us they also relax other muscles, meaning he would not be able to walk.
How the Mollii suit works
Rory did in-depth research into the suit before exploring it as an option. He told us how it works.
"You wear the suit for an hour and it sends some electrical stimulation, to the parts of your body that don't normally get that stimulation, because of multiple sclerosis.
What was using the suit like?
"20 minutes into that one hour, I noticed a difference with my foot.
"And so I very gently kicked Hilary's (Rory's wife) foot with my left foot.
"I cannot lift my left foot on its own. Normally I lift it up and it's lifting up with my hands. I was able to do it. Just kicked her foot.
"She didn't really notice it. So I kicked her again. And that was almost a light bulb moment of hold on a second.
"'He's just kicked me!'"
" I also found that, the grip I had in my left hand, which is normally very bad.... I could grip. And I was gripping hold of the wheels on my wheelchair. "And for the first time in quite a while, I just wheeled myself around the waiting area.
"And it wasn't just getting myself around. I was getting myself around without any problems. And normally it's Hilary that's pushing me.
"And we were both, sort of in a position of 'how?!' "
What it means to Rory
After having mobility issues for nearly a decade, Rory told us this was 'life-changing for him.'
"One of the issues we've with multiple sclerosis is that at the moment there are no known cures.
"And so the medications that anybody receives are really to help them overcome some of the issues that they have as a result of their MS."
Rory recounted that he still felt the effects of the suit the following day. Hilary was putting his socks on for him when he noticed he could lift his leg without using his arms.
Hilary had left the room briefly, at which point Rory wanted to see the extent of the impact of the suit.
"Without needing to use my hands as leverage. I used my hands as balance. But were using them to lift me up.
"And I stood up...
"And because where I was standing quite close to the bed. the wardrobes are quite close as well, I thought. I'm just gonna push my rollator away from me. Let's see if I can walk.
"And I took four steps. Completely unaided. Using nothing at all and I was able to take those four steps because I was in a safe environment.
"I had the bed on one side the wardrobes on the others I could use them to brace myself.
"So I went out of the room. I called Hilary and pretended to push my rollator away, I think, she said 'Do you want me to get it', I said no, it's okay. "And I just walked to it. And just, the action of walking to it - Completely unaided.
"Both of us were just in tears".
Rory has been fundraising to buy himself a Mollii suit and said he has been overwhelmed by the kindness people have shown,