2 weeks Ago
The family of a young man who has been diagnosed with a life-changing rare nerve disease have launched an appeal to help him on the road to recovery. Kayne McNally, 24, from Farnworth, was on holiday with his friends in Thailand in February earlier this year when he began to experience a "pins and needles" style tingling sensation in his legs and feet. Kayne, who had previously served in the RAF, had climbed a mountain in Thailand the day before so initially attributed the pain to fatigue.
Kayne McNally was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome earlier this year. (Image: Shelley-Ann) It was only when the pain gradually got worse and began to travel up his body that Kayne became suspicious of his symptoms and visited a hospital, which ran multiple tests. Despite a blood test coming back clear, Kayne knew something was wrong, and with his symptoms worsening and his breathing becoming difficult, he and his friend booked the next flight home.
Kayne previously served in the RAF (Image: Shelley-Ann) Kayne’s mum Shelly-Ann said: “Just two flights later and Kayne could no longer walk. "It’s terrifying, he needed a wheelchair at Manchester to get him to a taxi and Kayne went straight to A&E. READ MORE: Former Bolton A&E nurse to retire from NHS after 35 years Bolton NHS Trust responds to NHS Staff Survey results NHS Workers' Day 2025 celebrates diversity in healthcare “He was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS).
I’d never heard of it before, it affects your senses, your movement and things such as breathing and your heartbeat. “GBS is among one of the cruellest diseases I have ever seen, it tells the bad nerves to attack the good. "Within just 24 hours of the diagnosis Kayne was ventilated, all I could do was watch in horror.
” Kayne (centre) with his little brother Stanley, alongside his sister (left) and brother (right) (Image: Shelley-Ann) “Kayne can’t move his body, slight movement in one hand is all he has, he can’t hold his own head, swallow, breath, eat or use the bathroom. "He can’t even speak, he can only mouth words. “It’s extremely distressing, he seems to have had a particularly nasty strain of the disease.
It’s like he’s been turned into a baby again. “He can move his fingers, but that’s it. "His little brother, Stanley, is only seven.
He misses his big brother terribly and just wants to see him get well again and come home." Those who wish to donate to Kayne’s family fundraiser can do so. Shelly-Ann said: “We’ve been told that GBS affects everyone differently, but the recovery rate is good.
"We’re taking it day by day but it's long and painful.” Kayne (right) with his little brother, Stanley (left). (Image: Shelley-Ann) “One of the last things he said before he no longer had a voice was questioning how he was going to pay his mortgage.
"He was able to buy his own house at just 21. “That's why I'm doing this, Kayne has his whole life ahead of him, he has never done a bad thing to anyone and is in no way to blame for what has happened.” The main treatment for GBS is immunotherapy to stop the immune system from attacking the nerves.
This can either be through intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) or plasma exchange. Most people will be able to walk within six months and will recover within a year. Shelley-Ann added: “He’s still in intensive care, we’ve been told that he’s going to have to learn how to walk again.
“Kayne is so loved, he’s loved by all. "He has some fantastic friends and family who have stayed by his side through this. "It’s going to be a long, long recovery but we will be by his side every step of the way.
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