Martin had suffered with MS for 13 years. But following a groundbreaking operation on his veins, Martin is now enjoying using parts of his body he thought he had lost forever. Here are some excerpts from journalist Holly Thompson’s reporting of the event:

This time last year, Martin Jones could hardly leave the sofa. His body would spasm involuntarily, he couldn’t walk, he couldn’t sleep because his arms and legs twitched at random, and he would regularly choke on his food.

“I was very close to being put in a nursing home and then probably dying,” Mr Jones said. “I had lost my life. As far as I was concerned it was over. I couldn’t do anything – just lie there on the sofa endlessly trying to sleep. I was basically paralyzed.”

Now he can happily open the door to visitors, drive his car, and get up the stairs in one go.

“The experience has made me evangelical,” he said. “I want everyone to know about CCSVI and what it means. Scientists in this country are dismissing the treatment and calling it a placebo, but I’m proof that it works and that there is hope for MS sufferers all over the world.”

“I had to travel to Poland to get it done but it was worth it. The moment it was over, the first thing I realized was that I could feel my feet. I hadn’t felt them for years. It was amazing.”

“Life was pretty much over for me, but now I’m trying to find time to fit in everything I want to do.”

Source: thisissurrey.co.uk© East Surrey & Sussex News and Media Ltd (23/02/10)