York musician's rock dream shattered by stroke

11:00am Monday 17th November 2008

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HE toured the world, basked in the adulation of an army of fans and his band was showered with critical acclaim – but that all ended for Dorian Cox when he was struck down with a stroke at the age of 27.

The shattering blow, which almost cost the York-born guitarist his life, means he does not know if he will ever be able to again pick up the instrument with which he made his name.

Now the former strummer with indie rock band The Long Blondes, who have called it a day following Dorian’s crushing stroke just after returning from a summer US tour, has revealed how he is determined to ensure his musical days are not over – with the help of a York clinic which is teaching him to restart from scratch.

Dorian, who was born in Acomb but formed The Long Blondes with a group of Sheffield friends, contacted PhysioFunction, which provides private specialist neurological physiotherapy and is based at York Science Park, after deciding he needed something more than simply NHS treatment.

He says his weekly sessions there are moving him towards his “ultimate aim” – being able to play guitar again.

That ability vanished in June, as Dorian explained: “The day after we got back from the US tour, I was in a Sheffield hotel when I fell to the floor without any warning – I still don’t know exactly what happened.

“I was conscious and thought I just needed a hand to get back up, but I was taken to hospital struggling for breath – the NHS definitely saved my life.

“It was so strange because it came out of the blue, and when I was told I’d had a stroke, I just thought ‘I’m too young for this’. It was very difficult to take in because I thought strokes only happened to older people and I’d always been in pretty good health.

“I feel lucky it hasn’t affected me mentally – the repercussions have been purely physical – but my right leg and arm aren’t really usable as they were so I can’t play guitar. That was a nightmare, because it meant the band couldn’t carry on and my livelihood had suddenly gone.

“But it could have been a lot worse.”

Eventually, Dorian, who now lives in Doncaster, contacted PhysioFunction in York and is now using various techniques – including a Saeboflex arm training programme which is “teaching me to use my arm again” and muscle stimulation therapy – as he embarks on the long road back to full health.

“It’s a fantastic service, it’s helping tremendously and I think it can work wonders for me and others – it’s almost like a gym for my hand,” he said.“I know things might never be the same again and nobody can give me a definite answer about whether I’ll play guitar again, but I do think, with PhysioFunction’s help, I’m getting back on track. Whether I like it or not, this has happened to me, so I have to stay upbeat – there’s no point dwelling on it. If I want to get back to how I was, I need to adopt a positive attitude.”

The Long Blondes factfile

• Formed in 2003 by Dorian Cox, Screech Louder (real name Mark Turvey), Kate Jackson, Reenie Hollis and Emma Chaplin

• In 2006, won the NME Philip Hall Radar Award for up-and-coming artists

• In 2008, Played Leeds Festival and Glastonbury’s Other Stage

Why strokes don’t just affect the older generation

DORIAN Cox’s case proves the perception of strokes as only threatening the elderly could not be wider of the mark.

That’s according to Sarah Daniel, who runs PhysioFunction’s York clinic – which has been operating since May – and is backing her ex-rock star client every step of the way on the path to recovery.

“We specialise in treating any injury or condition which has affected somebody’s ability to move because of damage to their nervous system, such as strokes, head and spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s Disease,” she said. “This treatment can be available on the NHS, which does great work – in Dorian’s case, we work in conjunction with them – but stretched resources mean there’s often nothing available to people after their initial treatment.

“We decided to develop a private service to help clients overcome difficulties with things such as balance, hand, arm, leg and foot function, walking and muscle stiffness “Our ethos is to maximise somebody’s independence and allow them to do as much as they can for themselves. Dorian’s ambition is to play guitar again. Other people simply want to be able to dress themselves, but we want all the people we help to be able to do things for themselves and move their own recovery forward.

“Strokes don’t discriminate on age. We see a whole range of people, from a girl of about 12 to people in their 80s.

“There are certain genetics which make some people more disposed to strokes earlier in life.”