Chris Kamara Opens Up About Struggles with Speech Disorder, Tearfully Reveals Feeling 'Ashamed'

Chris Kamara broke down during an interview when the broadcaster opened up about his neurological condition, prompting Susanna Reid to step in and comfort him. During an interview with Good Morning Britain on Thursday, Kamara revealed that in 2022, he was diagnosed with a neurological condition, apraxia, which causes difficulty with specific motor functions and frequently impairs speech, as in Chris's case. Kamara appeared on the GMB this week to talk about his new autobiography, Kammy: My Unbelievable Life, and subsequent documentary.

Apraxia is a neurological disorder that affects the body's ability to perform natural motor functions. Apraxia of speech is a distinct motor speech disorder that hinders the ability to speak effectively. The neurological condition is not well understood, and sometimes the people suffering from the disease hesitate to share their feelings with anyone else.

In the documentary, Chris also talks about his diseases in detail and how he had been battling them. During a conversation with Susanna and Ben Shephard, Chris apologized to fellow people coping with speech conditions. He shared that after being diagnosed, he initially believed the condition defined him but has since realized it doesn't.


After this, Chris was seen becoming extremely emotional. He further said that after the diagnosis of the disease, he was in complete denial and hence he used to get upset while talking about it. He also added that he was ashamed that he couldn't speak. As tears filled Chris' eyes, Susanna immediately took over and tried comforting the sports star.

Consoling Chris, Susanna assured the sports star that there was nothing to be ashamed about. She also added that thousands of people have been inspired by Chris. After Chris' appearance on the show, Susanna took to Instagram to rave about how strong he is. Reid shared a picture of Chris alongside Ben and wrote ‘KAMMY! Picture of the morning.' Susanna also tagged Chris in the post and called him a 'tower of strength.' It happened after Chris disclosed that, following his apraxia diagnosis, he experienced suicidal thoughts.

Chris, who is popularly known as Kammy, also revealed that one of his close friends, Ben, persuaded him to reveal his diagnosis in March 2022 on GMB. Talking about the encounter, the sports star said that he was glad Ben approached him and helped him to come out with the disease in public.

He also added that revealing his condition and talking about it has made him 70% better. Chris said that acceptance was the hardest thing but now he has got this clear determination to help other people with speech conditions.

FAQs:

Q1: Who is Chris Kamara?
Ans: Chris Kamara is a retired English professional football player and manager, served as a presenter and football analyst at Sky Sports from 1992 to 2022.

Q2: Which disease does Chris Kamara has been diagnosed with?
Ans: Chris Kamara has been diagnosed with Apraxia.