Âé¶¹Éç

Use Âé¶¹Éç.com or the new Âé¶¹Éç App to listen to Âé¶¹Éç podcasts, Radio 4 and the World Service outside the UK.

Episode details

Radio 5 Live,1 min

‘Locked-in’ stroke sufferer describes ‘unlocking’

5 Live In Short

Available for over a year

Doctors in Switzerland have used a brain-reading device to hold simple conversations with "locked-in" patients, who are too disabled to communicate. In 2010 Kate Allatt became 'locked in' after suffering a stroke - she's now a motivational speaker, stroke activist and author. Her friends helped to ‘unlock’ her by creating a system of communication. She said: “They realised I wasn’t vegetative, and I was able to signal with my eyelids. They unlocked me by devising their own letterboard, one blink for no, two for yes.� “Being unlocked was like all your birthdays, Christmases and holding your baby in your arms at once – it was phenomenal,� added Kate. This clip is originally from 5 live Breakfast on Wednesday 1 February 2017.

Programme Website
More episodes