Joshua Donlon from Huntingdon in Cambridge lost the use of his voice 4 years ago. The 26-year-old has a rare brain tumour and contracted Pneumonia in 2018 – the ultimate reason he lost his voice.
Staying Positive
His voice returned after lots of hard work after learning breathing techniques with a specialist neurological team: “It’s been a long journey, and not always an easy one,” he said.
Joshua was diagnosed with a brain stem glioma when he was just 2 years old, it has affected his nervous system and he has used a wheelchair since he was 12 years old but his passion for radio seen him become a presenter back in 2011, however in 2011 he had to take a step back after losing the ability to talk.
The respiratory complications that came with pneumonia were caused by the tumour and it was extremely hard for Joshua to pronounce words due to the breathlessness. A specialist team at Askham Rehab in Doddington came to the rescue after Joshua shielded through the pandemic. He managed to start learning new breathing techniques in September 2021.
Hard Work Pays Off
The rehab that he’s been receiving has helped Joshua gain back some of the life he knew prior to catching Pneumonia. After having been exclusively fed through a tube, he’s now able to taste and swallow food after learning several oral motor exercises.
Mr Donlon said: “Having to step away from presenting due to my condition was extremely hard to accept, but the rehab I’ve received has enabled me to achieve my pursuit of getting back on the radio.
“It’s been a long journey, and not always an easy one, so my long-awaited return to live radio was a special moment, and quite overwhelming, actually.
“It has played such a huge part of my life – through both the good and not so good times.”
