The man who lost his body.

In 1971 Ian Waterman was struck with a rare viral disease which destroys the nerves. He lost all sense of touch. His muscles and joints were undamaged but without propriaception he faced life in a wheelchair. However, with the help of Dr. Ted Cantrell of Odstock Hospital in Wiltshire, Mr. Waterman devised a way of regaining his mobility. He visualised the movement he wished to make, analysing what his muscles had to do, and after one year he was able to stand unaided. Now he is able to walk and carry out most of the actions of a normal life, but no movement will ever again be spontaneous. Each one has to be planned and he has to watch his limbs to keep them in control. He was also helped by Marsha Ivins of the North American Space Agency (NASA) who works with astronauts who have difficulty in regaining normal movement when they return to the earth's gravitational field.