An Army veteran described as super fit by his family was left paralysed after going for a hike on holiday.
Doctors believe former Sergeant Major Derek Benny Bennett may have caught a mystery infection which attacked his central nervous system while in Cyprus.
He is now only able to speak and move his eyes and is confined to his hospital bed, according to friends and family desperate to bring him home to the UK.
Benny from Kirknewton in West Lothian, Scotland, had been staying at his holiday home with friends when he fell ill on September 15.
He originally complained about excruciating back pain after going on a morning hike and was taken to hospital where his condition deteriorated dramatically, his family said.
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Doctors are baffled as to whats caused Bennys condition but suspect he has suffered a virulent infection of his nervous system.
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He went into the intensive care unit and although he is now out it is still unclear what has caused his paralysis.
Family friend Victoria Guthrie, 29, said the former para and Royal Scots Dragoon Guards veteran had been her rock following the death of her father as a child.
She said: Benny had a bleed in his stomach and five blood transfusions.
A week after he went into the hospital the paralysis set in.
He can move his eyes and speak and thats about it.
Benny served with the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards and the Parachute Squadron in Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Germany and the Gulf over his 25-year army career.
Mum-of-one Victoria said: He was a physical training instructor in the army and hes always been super fit which is something weve always taken for granted.
That makes what happened all the more shocking. Hes a proud man who served his country with distinction.
Hes incredibly fit, he chops peoples wood for them and fixes their drains. He does anything he can for anybody.
She and Bennys family are desperate to fly him back to the UK for specialist treatment as the language barrier is making it difficult for him to understand what is going on in Cyprus.
They have been told that a medical flight home will cost around £30,000.
Victoria said: Hes lost a lot of muscle mass and hes on a very restricted diet and wasnt allowed a huge number of visitors while he was in intensive care.
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He lies there all day and gets turned once an hour. Its awful for someone so active to be in this state.
When he gets back hell need to have an in-depth operation on his spine.
The longer hes there, the longer were putting the operation off for.
His friends are now raising money to get him home through a GoFundMe page and have already raised almost £17,000 so far.
The campaign can be found here.
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