Firstly, thank you so much Doc Alan and also Aingeall for your very kind words. It’s been 4 weeks since I last posted here so for those following this thread, I’m delighted to give the following update:

After months of my badgering for help, a few weeks ago my brother started receiving a weekly visit from physiotherapist with the objective of providing exercises to increase his mobility. Within 2 days of the first visit, he was taking his first steps with a walking frame! Shortly after that, he started taking steps holding the frame at shoulder height as he couldn’t work it properly, bless him. He looked very comical but was so pleased with himself!

The muscles in his trunk area were too weak to hold him up but there was no stopping him. The physiotherapist gave him some new exercises to strengthen his trunk and he’s pretty much ditched the frame now and just hangs on to handrails placed strategically around the building. His walking is improving each time I see him and although he is dragging his left leg behind him and he gets tired very quickly, he seems to be almost sprinting about . I am so proud of him! The next step (pardon the pun) will be to get a walking stick as that will be far easier for him to handle and of more use.