A KEEN Haslemere sportsman, who suffered a life-changing event last October in Bolivia, while on a gap year holiday, is writing a book about his terrifying experience and gradual recovery in the hope it will help others.

Ironically, 22-year-old Angus Harper was cycling the infamous ‘Death Road’ in Bolivia with a friend, when he experienced agonising pains in his legs.

He spent the night of October 30 in the local hospital but was told he was suffering from exhaustion and was discharged the next day.

When his condition worsened, he was rushed back to the same La Paz hosital, but doctors there failed to diagnose the problem over the next three days, as he deteriorated to the extent he became almost totally paralysed.

Desperate to help their son, his parents flew to La Paz and arranged through the British Embassy for Angus to be transferred to Cemes Hospital, where he was diagnosed within an hour as having Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS), a rare auto-immune disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks the nerves.

Life-saving treatment immediately commenced, but the paralysis had spread to his diaphragm and his lungs were starting to fail. He was also at high risk of a heart attack due to nerve damage.

Blood transplants stopped the paralysis progressing and a charity raised money to fly him back to Guildford’s Royal Surrey County Hospital, where he received physiotherapy to help him move again. He was then transferred to a Woking rehabilitation unit.

Last Friday, after more than six months in rehab, Angus was discharged back to the family home in Haslemere. He can now walk with crutches and hopes to be back to full mobility soon.

“It’s so great to be out and about,” Angus said. “If I hadn’t done so much sport before, I don’t think I would have been able to recover.

“My recovery has been slow but quicker than most because of my athleticism.

“My life revolved around sport. I am treating my physio as a version of my sport.

“It can be very painful and frustrating but it’s my opportunity to push myself as far as I can to progress.

“I wrote a blog ‘In My Mind I Am Free’ about my experiences in hospital. I am now writing a book about the pyschological impact of a near-death experience.

“I don’t see myself as inspirational but if it helps other people, it will have been worthwhile.

“I want to be direct and honest about when it got toughest.”

Angus was greatly helped with his emotional recovery by family friend and film producer Mark Stothert, whose Infinity Productions brought the acclaimed film ‘Edie’ to fruition.

The film, starring Sheila Hancock, is about 83-year-old Edie’s triumph over adversity as she scales Mount Suilven. It proved to be very therapeutic for Angus, when Mark asked him to help with the film’s marketing.

Angus immediately bonded with physical effort required to make it by the actress, who had to get fit enough to scale the peak herself.

Angus said helping with the film had really helped his own recovery – knowing Edie had a master plan to achieve her goal, just as he had his: “It was lovely working on something that reflected what I was doing,” he added.

He is looking forward to attending its first local screening at Haslemere Hall at 8pm on Wednesday, July 11, when director Simon Hunter will also be there for a Q and A session.