THE sons of a ‘kind-hearted man’ battling a rare autoimmune disorder have vowed to take on a series of fundraising challenges in a bid to help him fulfil his dream of walking again.

Geoffrey Daintith, who uses a wheelchair, was put in an induced coma at Warrington Hospital for more than a year after nearly dying and being diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome two years ago.

The 53-year-old dad-of-two could not speak and was paralysed to such an extent that he was only able to move his eyes when he awoke from his coma.

The former self-employed construction worker, of Meadowbank Gardens, Glazebury, has since regained a lot of movement and can talk again following daily physiotherapy and other treatment at Aintree University Hospital in Liverpool.

But the NHS has cut the funding for his rehabilitation treatment after deciding he was not responding to it well enough to justify the costs involved.

His son Greg, 25, said: “My dad is such a kind-hearted man and has always gone out of his way to help anyone.

“His dream is to walk again but without physio treatment this will become nearly impossible.

“He is in an electric wheelchair, so he has some independence, but he still cannot walk, feed himself and do other basic tasks.

“However with time and the determination my dad possesses he will achieve these aims.”

Debt counsellor Greg, who suffered from depression as he struggled to cope with his dad’s condition and had to take six months off work, completed a 10k run at Tatton Park on Saturday to help raise the funds needed for Geoffrey to receive private physiotherapy treatment.

He and his brother Bradley, 23, are also planning to do a sponsored bungee jump and asking sponsors to nominate other fundraising challenges for them to do.

The family have set up a JustGiving page with a £10,000 target to pay for Geoffrey’s treatment and to have medical equipment and a downstairs toilet fitted in his house so that he can return home full-time.

Greg added: “My uncle David Atherton inspired me to start running after he completed the Ironman UK triathlon event in Bolton this year after doing the training when he had cancer.

“It pushed me to get fit to run the 10k and now Bradley and I will go on to do more fundraising challenges.

“I cannot praise the staff who have cared for my dad over the past two years enough and I hope we can raise the money we need to help him on his road to recovery.

“It would be incredible to see him walking again.”

Guillain-Barré syndrome is a serious disorder in which the immune system attacks healthy nerve cells in the peripheral nervous system.

This leads to weakness, numbness and tingling and can cause paralysis.

With Leigh Centurions fan Geoffrey being self-employed, he is not eligible for state benefits and his condition has put a significant financial strain on his wife Susan, 52, and Greg and Bradley.

The family have had to pay for Geoffrey’s motorised wheelchair and a van tailored to his needs.

To make a donation to the JustGiving page set up for Geoffrey visit bit.ly/2hutWqY.