TWO women who suffer from a rare muscle-reducing condition have revealed the secret that led to them regaining their independence – Pilates.

Hayley Watson was left paralysed after being diagnosed with autoimmune condition Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS) in 2010, while Lydia Barclay relied on a walking stick after contracting the condition, which attacks the nervous system.

Having both reluctantly signed up to Pilates Cheshire, at Brook Street Chapel, to try and regain control of their muscles, the pair met and have taken huge steps - figurative and literal - towards improving their mobility.

Hayley said: “In April 2010 at the age of 22. I was about to fulfil one of my life goals. I was heading to Uganda to volunteer with a charity. I was very excited, and had to have the yellow fever vaccination.

“I had an allergic to reaction to the vaccination and ended up in ICU in hospital paralysed from the neck down.”

After six years of staggered progress in hospital, re-learning to walk, feed and dress herself, Hayley was released last March and joined Pilates Cheshire with Maureen Mounouchos, initially attending just to please her mum.

“When I started I could only walk a very short distance with crutches before pain and fatigue made me stop,” she said.

“I had absolutely no balance – people would look at me in disgust at 10am in the morning thinking I was drunk.

“We used to just do some basic stretches as my muscles were just so tight and painful. Mo took the time to read up and find everything she could about GBS and how she could help me with Pilates.

“She placed a high emphasis on correct technique which is so important and her class numbers are deliberately small to ensure individual attention. After losing all muscle tone I now can see muscle definition and it is little things like that that really boost my confidence.”

Lydia was diagnosed with GBS in 2016, starting Pilates in November describing herself as ‘lucky’ to still be able to walk with the support of a stick.

She said: “My GBS recovery milestones are almost all associated with a whooping cheer in Brook Street Hall with Mo.

“I was lucky that I found a Pilates teacher who would celebrate these with me – a teacher who would spend time in between my lessons researching different exercises to test out my strange nerves which would, and sometimes still do, often come and go as they pleased.

“My arms and legs all work normally now although whether or not my reflexes will ever return is in the hands of the gods.”

Mo can be contacted at pilatescheshire@gmail.com or on 07720765252.

To find out more about GBS, visit gaincharity.org.uk