Determined Lanarkshire dad overcomes muscle-wasting disease to find his feet as an Ironman

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Guilt is a heavy burden that Lanarkshire dad Thomas Henderson has to bear for unwittingly passing on an hereditary neurological disorder to his eldest daughter.But, if there’s one thing he can do to mitigate nine-year-old Sienna’s inheritance of the symptoms of Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease – a condition that causes weakness and wasting of muscles in the lower legs – it’s that he is demonstrating to his girl that she too can soar and achieve the sporting prowess of an elite athlete.Having CMT, as Thomas describes it, is like walking with one’s toes in the way.

He was 15-months-old before he took his first steps and, when he did, he would frequently “trip over fresh air.”The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now.

Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you.Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android At the age of four, he had surgery to lengthen the tendons in his left foot and at the age of 12 he would undergo a similar operation on his right.Thomas was in plaster for nearly four months and had physio and rehab sessions to correct his walking – but still his condition lacked a label.“I could not play football, jump fences or climb trees, go roller-blading or ice-skating – daft things that were important back then,” he told Lanarkshire Live.“I fell all the time.