Scared stiff of fireworks: Rare condition leaves father unable to move when he hears loud bang

By Paul Sims for MailOnline
Updated: 09:25 EST, 4 November 2008

Lighting up the night's sky as they do every year, firework displays are supposed to be enjoyable events.

But for Andy Latham a rare neurological disease means he is literally scared stiff when they explode into life.

The 33-year-old is believed to be the only person in the UK to suffer from a condition known commonly as Startle Disease.

It means that when he hears a loud bang, like a firework, his entire body stiffens and he can collapse to the floor like a felled tree.

Fireworks displays are a great source of anxiety for Andy Latham. Sudden noises make him go rigid

'I have an exaggerated startle response to the unexpected,' he explained. 'My whole body will seize and stiffen, causing me to fall over like a dead-weight.'

The father-of-one, who was born with the condition but was not diagnosed until he was 21, said anything can trigger the dramatic response, including clapping, dogs barking, phones ringing, people shouting, car horns and coughing.

It can also happen if someone approaches him from behind without notice.

'It can be very dangerous and is pretty scary,' he added. 'One year a firework went off, my body stiffened and I fell over and banged my head.

'I had to go to hospital and get stitches. Some people might jump when a firework goes off but I'm literally scared stiff.'

While most of the country wraps up warm and heads off to a local display he will be at home this year with his only protection - ear plugs.

Mr Latham, from Great Harwood, Lancashire, says he also intends to lie on the floor for most of the night to prevent any injuries.

The condition, which is also known as Hyperekplexia, affects the glycine receptors in the brain and can cause severe reactions when sufferers are startled.

Mr Latham, who does not work due to his condition and takes medication to relax his muscles, says he dreads Bonfire Night.

'Fireworks are particularly bad for me because they are so loud and sudden,' he said.
'When my body stiffens, I fall like a dead weight and can hurt myself so Bonfire night, in particular, is very stressful for me.

'I get so nervous about the whole thing I can't pass urine. I will usually take more medication which helps the startle attacks and turn my TV up loud to drown out the noise of the fireworks.'

Mr Latham, who is married to Lynn, 36, and has a newborn son, Samuel, puzzled doctors for years before he was eventually diagnosed.

They had no explanation for the sudden reaction and believed a rare genetic muscle fibre problem in his legs was the cause.

Mr Latham, who is currently on disability benefits, needs a stick to walk but has so far refused to use the wheelchair he has been issued with.

And while he will rely on ear plugs to drown out the noise of the fireworks this year he also has another secret weapon.

'There is something in beer that numbs the startle reaction to the noises,' he explained.

'When I go on a lad's night out, I have to have a few cans before I leave home to dull my startle reaction and help my muscles chill out.

'Otherwise, if I was in a pub and loud music came on all of a sudden, I'd be done for.'

Despite his fear of fireworks, however, Mr Latham is no shrinking violet. He performed with disabled stripping troupe, the Crippendales, at the Edinburgh Festival last year.

The five-piece group were formed after a Channel 4 documentary team came up with the idea of creating a disabled men's stripping group.

Mr Latham added: 'I don't mind taking my clothes off for a room full of screaming women - as long as no one suddenly shouts too loud.'

The cause of Hyperekplexia is a mutation in the fifth chromosome and has been linked by some researchers to Asperger's Syndrome.

The disorder was first discovered in 1958 by doctors who reported a family with 'drop seizures'.

The disease is also responsible for some cases of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and was found to be hereditary in 1990.