John’s Journey
Before his stroke, John lived a life built on responsibility, routine and independence. A former train driver, he spent years behind the controls, ensuring others arrived safely at their destinations. That sense of purpose even carried on through his family, with his daughter Mechelle following in his footsteps and becoming a train driver herself.
When John suffered a stroke in 2019, that independence was suddenly taken away. Simple movements became challenges and everyday tasks required effort and patience. Still, John refused to accept defeat. Through hard work and determination, he relearned how to walk and rebuilt a level of independence that allowed him to look forward again.
But in 2022, another setback arrived. A serious fall caused significant complications, triggering severe spasticity, often referred to as “high tone”, in John’s left leg. After stroke, muscles can become locked in a constant state of tension, refusing to relax. For John, this meant his leg stiffened so much that it was no longer functional for walking. What he had fought so hard to regain slipped away, and he became dependent on a wheelchair.
When John first met the Cortex Physiotherapy team, he was living in a care home. Confidence was low, and the future felt uncertain. Yet even then, John wasn’t finished.
“They didn’t promise miracles,”
John says.
“But from the very first assessment they gave me hope. They promised they’d give it everything, and that was all I wanted.”
John began working with Cortex in 2024. His rehabilitation programme focused on rebuilding control from the ground up. Standing practice, weight-bearing and muscle activation formed the foundation of his sessions. Initially, even short periods upright were demanding, but through repetition and patience, John began reconnecting with his left side.
The team supported John through several hospital Botox injection sessions to help reduce muscle tone and allow movement to return. Alongside this, he began using a specialist knee orthosis which applies a gentle, constant stretch, helping keep his leg straighter and preventing further muscle shortening. Together, these interventions allowed John to focus on quality movement rather than constantly fighting stiffness.
“I came expecting them to tell me what others had, that I wouldn’t stand or walk again,”
John explains.
“Instead, they felt I was worth working with. They were honest that it wouldn’t be quick, but they committed to being beside me. They’ve already proved many people wrong.”
Rehabilitation with Cortex isn’t just physical. Confidence has been one of John’s biggest barriers. After years of setbacks, trusting your body again takes time. But through consistent support, John has learned to push those limits in a safe environment.
“It’s hard work,”
John admits.
“There are days I think, ‘I’ve had enough.’ But the Cortex team are always behind me, pushing me on. Progress is slow, but it’s real. You can’t describe the feeling of moving a muscle that hasn’t worked in years.”
John’s progress has already changed his life. From needing full-time residential care, he has gained enough independence to return home with a care package. And after particularly tough physio sessions, John now rewards himself in a simple but powerful way, by cooking himself a steak dinner independently in his own kitchen.
Today, John follows a hybrid rehabilitation programme, with sessions split between his home and the Cortex clinic. Working in both environments allows him to practise real-life tasks while still benefiting from specialist equipment and support in clinic.
More recently, John has been attending appointments at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow to explore a surgical option to permanently straighten his knee. While he understands that surgery alone won’t put him back on his feet, it will allow safer, more even weight-bearing through both legs. With continued physiotherapy afterwards, John hopes that walking independently again is within reach.
“I know it won’t happen overnight,”
he says.
“But with the right guidance and the team behind me, I believe I’ll get there.”
From standing practice in his kitchen to supported steps in the walking hoist, every second upright and every new muscle activation is another milestone. John’s determination continues to inspire everyone around him.
John’s journey isn’t finished, it’s still being written. And at Cortex Physiotherapy, we’re proud to be beside him for every step of it.