A man left paralysed after suffering a stroke has become one of only 15 people in the world to recover from locked-in syndrome.

Shaun Wilde, 44, was in a vegetative state for three monthsand could only communicate with loved ones and doctors by blinking at a letterboard.

He was unable to eat, drink or talk, but was still breathingand conscious as he was trapped inside his own body after a blood clot in hisbrain stem triggered a severe stroke.

Locked-in syndrome affects around one per cent of stroke victims and around 90 per cent of sufferers die within four months. But following his recovery, Shaun can walk and talk – and has even returned to work.

He goes to the gym three mornings a week, has physio at homeand also undergoes acupuncture to boost his energy.

Shaun, from Ballabeg on the Isle of Man, said: ‘I sometimesget out of breath when I talk for too long, but I do it. I use a walking stickwhen I’m out and about, but I walk around the house and work unaided.

‘I know I’m making progress. I appreciate things that peopletake for granted – walking, talking, the basic things you only notice when youcan’t. Psychologically you can be affected more than you realise.’

His life was turned upside down on August 23, 2015. Shaunsaid he woke up feeling sick and light headed and went for a walk to clear hishead, oblivious of how serious his symptoms were.

He went to his mum’s house to watch football on thetelevision, but when his condition worsened, she called an ambulance.

Shaun recalled: ‘I didn’t think for one minute it was thebeginning of a stroke. It’s a bit surreal. You hear and read about it, butdon’t think it will happen to you.

‘I was in a dream-like state, I guess it was two weeks before I came round.’

It left him trapped in his own body and only able tocommunicate with family through blinking and by using a letter board.

He said: ‘It was frustrating. You take it for granted,asking for things saying things, taking part in conversation.’

In December, he was transferred to the Walton Centre inLiverpool, a specialist neurology hospital.

His days were filled with a schedule of rehabilitationinvolving physio, occupational and speech therapy.

He said: ‘I started to put two or three words together and I built on that. Slowly but surely I started to be able to make sentences and speak a bit faster. I had to learn to speak again, pretty much the same way an infant would have to learn to speak.’

Shaun also began to regain some movement, much to thedelight of his mum Caroline, who was there to support him throughout hisordeal.

He added: ‘My mum was at the hospital with me every daywhile I was on the Isle of Man and she would come across every couple of weeksto Liverpool.

‘It was great having a friendly face to look at, it gave mea real boost to see her.’

He was finally discharged and returned home in June 2016 –10 months after he suffered his stroke.

Amazingly, he returned to work as a company administrator ataccountancy firm Crowe Morgan in October 2016.

Shaun now works two and a half days a week and continues hisroad to recovery.

He said: ‘It’s been four and half long years, but I amdetermined to continue my recovery.

‘There is no expectancy for somebody to recover from something like this. If it is going to happen I just want it to happen, I don’t care how long it takes.’

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