Running for his life

Many can walk, jog and run properly and also sleep properly. But in this group of 'Many', at least 80% of them take this for granted. Ryan's story made me treasure these tiny things which seem insignificant in our lives.

The pains started when Ryan was just five or six. Ryan would fall to the floor and scream. Lisa, terrified. would bundle him into a taxi or an ambulance. Stumped by his symptoms, hospital doctors could do little more than put Ryan on a morphine drip to knock him out and deaden the pain.

One evening, when Ryan was seven, Lisa was watching TV at home in the living room when she was startled by a scream from Ryan: "Help me, Mum!" Lisa rushed upstairs to his bedroom, expecting another pain attack. But this time it was different: Ryan was lying face down, violent spasms wrenching his back with what looked like small snakes twisting and turning beneath his skin.

Again doctors could do little more than put Ryan on a morphine drip. Some even wondered if he was imagining or exaggerating his pain, but finally, when Ryan was seven, a specialist confirmedthat he had dystonia, a rare condition similar to Parkinson's disease. Although the full causes of dystonia are not known, researchers believe the problem can be traced to an abnormality in the basal ganglia, a "switchboard-like" part of the brain that processes messages contolling the movement.

Ryan's dystonia was severe. it affected much of his body, including his left leg, back, hands and even his face. There was no cure. The older he got, the worse it became. He regularly fell down the steps at home, when his left leg would go into convulsions and collapse beneath him. Lisa would hear a crash and find him at the bottom of the stairs, crying out in pain. At other times, his jaw would lock and he could barely speak. He couldn't tie his own shoes or grip a knife and a fork well enough to cut up his food. The spasms became so frequent that Ryan had has his own permanent bed in Walsall's Manor Hospital.

Dystonia might have crippled Ryan, but he was still going on strong. Frustrated by a doctor who rarely spoke to him during a hospital stay, Ryan wrote to him a letter, complaining,"Stop treating me like a bin you just shove pills in I am a person. I am not a thing!"

Two months before he had been unable to walk more than a few steps is now actually jogging! While he is running his pain begins to disappear. it is uncanny; it's as if he can run away from his disease. As he continued to jog and go on to running, Frank Gardner, a coach, noticed his raw talent and willingness to practise. He just lacked technique, but he was fast.

Over the years Ryan had mastered how to cover up his pain and hide the side effects of dystonia.which had weakened his left side. He slightly dragged his left lef after years of favouring the other side and he leaned a bit to one side in an attempt to hide his limp.

It was in January 25, 2005, and the National Indoor Arena was packed with spectators and athletes for the Brimingham Games. Ryan Farrington, then 16, could hear his heart beating faster as he knelt into a crouch. It was Ryan's first official race, a heat, and he tries to block out the noise of the crowd and the image of the runners on either sides. The pistol fires and he explodes out of his starting position. His arms pump like pistons as he powers his slim, muscular, 170cm frame down the track. With his head held high and slightly forward, Ryan ran like a champion. He later won silver medals in regional races and a gold as a member of the West Midlands sprint relay team. He is now one of Britian's top 10 runners for his age. However, there are still days when he could not get out of bed.

In conclusion, I hope all of you will treasure everything in your life, even the smallest of things. And also, there is no problem without a solution. We just have to find it. Just like how Ryan Farrington did with his perserverance and determination. He found an astonishing antidote for himself to keep the pain of his incurable disease away, even though he still has some after-effects and outbreaks, he still continues to fight this disease and has already won half the battle. No matter what the outcome will be, he will just fight all the way until his last breath.

Likewise, we should also never give up until the very last minute. Even though the chances of winning is low, there is still a chance. Giving up would have meant that you have totally lost.

Jasmine Ang (2)