Man with rare muscle condition opens up on how gaming provides him 'freedom'

A Leicestershire man living with a rare muscle condition has revealed how gaming provides him with the "freedom" to live a enjoyable life. Vivek Gohil, from Oadby , had initially been left unable to play video games due to his condition, but things are looking more positive now. The 34-year-old, who has Duchenne muscular dystrophy, started gaming with Super Mario World on the Gameboy Advance.

However, after buying a PS4, Vivek faced accessibility problems due to changes to the controller shape making it difficult for him and had to give up gaming. That led a decline in Vivek's mental health , but it also saw him explore the ways in which to make gaming more accessible . He has since worked with Microsoft to provide feedback to help him, and other gamers, continue to enjoy the gaming world - and Vivek believes it has rekindled his love of gaming once more.



READ MORE: Couple needing care help claim they have been 'treated like rubbish' by NHS and council Vivek says that gaming is a way for him to cope with his condition. He said: "Gaming is an ideal way for me to cope with my deteriorating muscles and it gives me a sense of freedom and ability. "It was only after I had a break from gaming due to accessibility issues that my family noticed how depressed I had become.

That's when I realised how important gaming was to me." The Leicestershire man's desire to make gaming more inclusive was heard at a special discussion event co-hosted by Muscular Dystrophy UK and Netflix on Thursday, November 21. The event featured television presenter Elle Osili-Wood and director Benjami Ree discussing the documentary 'The Remarkable Life of Ibelin'.

The film explores the life of Norwegian gamer Mats Steen, who lived with Duchenne muscular dystrophy - the same condition as Vivek - and died aged 25. Vivek said: "The film captures a beautiful story. It has brought the muscle wasting and weakening community together to celebrate the life of a fellow brother.

" The documentary has won the Audience Award and Directing Award in the World Cinema Documentary category at Sundance and is featuring in Oscar predictions. Vivek virtually attended the event where Osili-Wood led discussions with director Ree about the film. Muscular Dystrophy UK, the leading charity for more than 110,000 children and adults in the UK living with muscle wasting and weakening conditions, is encouraging people to support their 'Game On' initiative to raise funds for research.

We are raising awareness of Duchenne muscular dystrophy in the build-up to International Day of Persons with Disabilities on Tuesday, December 3. The latest estimates from the Department for Work and Pensions’ Family Resources Survey indicate that 16.0 million people in the UK had a disability in the 2021/22 financial year.

This represents 24 per cent of the total population. We are now bringing you the latest updates on WhatsApp first.