GAZETTE & HERALD: THREE years after joining a pioneering surgical drug trial for Parkinson's disease, father-of-two Stephen Waite has travelled to Rome to address specialists on its miraculous effects.

Building consultant Mr Waite, 60, of Malmesbury Road, Chippenham, was one of five Parkinson's disease sufferers invited to enter a ground-breaking new treatment programme, started by surgeons at Frenchay Hospital, Bristol, in 2001.

During major brain surgery, two large metal pumps were installed behind the muscle in his abdomen and were connected to tubes into his brain.

Each month, the pumps are refilled with a growth hormone called GDNF, which is fed through the tubes and slowly drips into his brain, in a bid to regenerate brain cells damaged by the brain disease.

And results published last year have shown that 54 per cent of Mr Waite's symptoms have been eradicated.

Diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at the age of 28, Mr Waite said he felt honoured to be chosen to speak at the GDNF Global Commercial Team Summit in Rome last weekend.

"It was quite overwhelming standing up to speak in front of all those experts, but I managed to lighten the mood quite quickly when I explained that I was shaking through nerves, not Parkinson's," he said.

"I believe they found my story interesting, as I contracted Parkinson's at a very early age. I told them how I had hidden my illness from family members and friends for 20 years, for fear that the news would get out and render me unemployable.

"And how I feared that I wouldn't reach an age when I would see my daughters grow up. But I also told them how the love and support of my wife Margaret and family has also kept me determined not to let the disease beat me, and how I now have three granddaughters, who I look forward to seeing growing up, too."

Parkinson's disease patients suffer from a lack of the brain chemical dopamine, which helps them control their movements.

Mr Waite told delegates how prior to the drug trial he had been forced to take an increasing number of pills in an effort to control the daily periods of freezing in which his limbs, most notably his legs, seized up.

Video footage of Mr Waite taken before the trial showed his difficulty in walking and his necessity to use a walking stick at all times.

But on Saturday Mr Waite strode up to take his place at the microphone at the conference at the Grand Hotel Flora in Rome, unaided.

He said: "I explained that I had been willing to try anything to improve my mobility even though the trial had not been tested on humans before and did pose significant risks.

"They were very interested in my progress and impressed with my ability to now walk and work freely and the many other differences it has made to my life, including my new-found independence.

"There was then a long question and answer session in which they asked me about my experiences. They seemed amazed at how much I had improved."

He added: "For me, most importantly, the trip gave me the chance to stand up and say thank you to the brain surgery team at Frenchay, who have quite simply transformed my life."