24 October 2023 , 12:28
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Football legend and TV presenter Chris Kamara has opened up about his battle with rare neurological disorder apraxia in his new book out next month.
The condition affects speech, balance, dexterity and strength and can also have a devastating effect on the sufferer's mental health. In his new book, titled ‘Kammy’, Chris admits dark thoughts at his lowest point left him feeling he did not want to be a burden on his wife Anne.
He admitted to thinking about footballer Gary Speed’s tragic suicide more than a decade ago, saying: “I thought of Gary Speed and then I thought of my own position – a man in his mid-sixties, whose best days, because of a brain condition, were gone, struggling on while becoming a weight on all around him. Whose wife and children would be left to deal with whatever I became. I didn’t want that for Anne and the boys. So how do you prevent it from happening? You take yourself out of the picture."
Thankfully, Chris sought help for his mental struggles and began to realise that the "future was not so bleak" as he began to accept his illness. He urged anyone else contemplating such troubling thoughts to seek support.
If you feel like you need to talk to someone, help and support is available 24/7 - Call Samaritans free on 116 123, or email [email protected]
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What is apraxia of speech?
Apraxia of speech (AOS) , also known as acquired apraxia of speech, verbal apraxia, or childhood apraxia, is a speech-sound disorder, which makes it harder for a sufferer to say what they need to.
The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) says the condition disrupts the brain pathways used to plan the sequence of movements involved in speech. Frustratingly, the brain knows what it wants to say, but simply can't plan and sequence the necessary speech and sound movements.
The severity can vary from person to person, ranging from causing the sufferer problems with a handful of speech sounds through to being severe enough to needing an alternative way of communicating. Contrary to what some believe, AOS isn't actually caused by paralysis or weakness of the speech muscles.
What are the types and causes of apraxia of speech?
- Acquired AOS can affect someone at any age, although it most typically occurs in adults, says the NIDCD.
Acquired AOS happens when parts of the brain involved in speaking become damaged, leading to the loss or impairment of existing speech abilities. This can happen from a stroke, head injury, tumour, or other illness affecting the brain.
Acquired AOS may occur together with other conditions caused by damage to the nervous system. One of these is dysarthria - where you have difficulty speaking because the muscles you use for speech are weak.
Another is aphasia - when a person has difficulty with their language or speech. - Childhood AOS is present from birth, with the condition also known as developmental apraxia of speech, developmental verbal apraxia, or articulatory apraxia. Childhood AOS is not to be confused with developmental delays in speech, in which a child follows the typical path of speech development but does so more slowly than is typical, says the NIDCD.
The causes of childhood AOS are not well understood. Imaging and other studies have not been able to find evidence of brain damage or differences in the brain structure of children with AOS.
Children with AOS often have family members who have a history of a communication disorder or a learning disability. This observation and recent research findings suggest that genetic factors may play a role in the disorder. Childhood AOS appears to affect more boys than girls.
The main symptoms of apraxia of speech
- Errors in speech - A person with AOS might have problems saying a word properly, and then have difficulty repeating it. Yet on another day they may be able to say it correctly.
Sound distortion - A sufferer may find it hard to pronounce words correctly - with sounds, particularly vowels, becoming distorted. Often the longer, or more complicated the word, the harder it is to say. Sound substitutions may occur if AOS is accompanied by the aforementioned aphasia.
- Struggling to get the right sound - People with apraxia of speech can often appear to be reaching for the right sound they need, or for the correct word. It is common to repeat a word several times before saying it correctly.
- Errors in tone, stress, or rhythm of speech - Another common factor is the incorrect use of prosody - which is the patterns of stress and intonation when we speak. Someone struggling with prosody might use equal stress, segment syllables in a word, or leave out syllables in words or phrases, alternatively pausing inappropriately while speaking.
Chris Kamara's apraxia and what it means for him
Chris Kamara is one of the most popular figures in English football following a stellar career as a player, manager, pundit and TV presenter. He has previously said that apraxia of speech "feels like someone has taken over my voice box".
Chris was one of the most popular pundits on Soccer Saturday for more than two decades thanks to his unique style of reporting. His catchphrase "unbelievable Jeff" - delivered when talking to presenter Jeff Stelling - is one of the most iconic in the sport.
As well as working as a pundit, Kamara also established himself as a TV presenter. He co-hosted Goals on Sunday on Sky Sports for 22 years, with Ben Shephard joining him for much of that time. The two still host Kammy & Ben's Proper Football Podcast together.
Before moving into television, Kamara played top-fight football for Leeds, Luton, Sheffield United and Middlesbrough as a midfielder. He also played for Portsmouth, Swindon, Brentford, Stoke and Bradford lower down the English football pyramid.
KAMMY: My Unbelievable Life by Chris Kamara is published by Macmillan on November 9, £22
If you feel like you need to talk to someone, please don't suffer in silence. Help and support is available 24/7 - Call Samaritans free on 116 123, or email [email protected]
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