Running Free: Breaking Out from Locked-in Syndrome

Kate Allatt

May 2011 · Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

Can you imagine being trapped inside your own body? Able to see and hear everything going on around you but unable to move or speak - the blink of an eye your only way of communicating. Fell-runner and fun-loving mother-of-three Kate Allatt's life was torn apart when what appeared to be a stress-related headache exploded into a massive brainstem stroke leading to locked-in syndrome. Totally paralysed, she became a prisoner inside her own body. Doctors warned her family she would never walk, talk or swallow or lead a normal life again. But they didn't know Kate. The words no and never were not in her vocabulary. With the help of her best friends and family she drew on every ounce of her runner's stamina and determination to make a recovery that amazed medical experts. Using a letter chart, Kate blinked the words "I will walk again". Soon she was moving her thumb and communicating with the world via Facebook. Eight months after her stroke, Kate said goodbye to nurses, walked out of hospital and returned home to learn how to run again. This is the story of her incredible journey.

About the author

Kate Allatt is a 40-year-old mother of three and a keen fell runner. She lives in the UK with her husband Mark and three children India, 11, Harvey, 10 and Woody, six. Before her stroke she ran her own digital marketing company and was preparing an expedition to climb Mount Kilimanjaro.