'Doctors said the gym would fix my knee pain - then I was told I'd never walk again'
manchestereveningnews.co.ukLife was just getting started for Paul Baddeley when his world came crashing down around him. Landing his first full-time job in the pottery industry at the age of 19, the teenager's future was looking bright.
But it was while working that bosses noticed him struggle to carry items up the stairs, encouraging him to visit a doctor. Try MEN Premium for FREE by clicking here for no ads, fun puzzles and brilliant new features. Medics told Paul he had housemaids' knee, also known as prepatellar bursitis or kneecap bursitis, which can cause pain and swelling.
They advised him to sign up to a gym and work out regularly, believing exercise would help fix the problem. Paul followed their orders but struggled with step aerobics, prompting his family to take him to a private orthopaedic surgery.
Almost immediately, a consultant knew Paul had muscular dystrophy. Muscular dystrophy, or MD, is a hereditary condition that causes muscles to waste away.
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