The fight of Brownlow great Ian Stewart's life Mike Sheahan
From: Herald Sun
July 24, 2012 TRIPLE Brownlow medallist Ian Stewart faces a lengthy stay in hospital after being struck down with the rare auto-immune condition Guillain-Barre syndrome.
Stewart, 69, has been in the Royal Melbourne Hospital for 10 days and is expected to remain there for at least three months before transfer to a rehabilitation centre.
He cannot use his limbs, but can shrug his shoulders and gently wiggle his toes.
He was struck down at his Woodend property in the middle of the night while home alone and feared a stroke as he waited for an ambulance after painstakingly managing to call triple 0.
The former St Kilda and Richmond champion is in surprisingly good spirits, telling the Herald Sun: "It's not a walk in the park, but life's not a walk in the park, is it?"
Stewart's wife, Susy, made an emergency return from London, where she had been visiting their daughter, Lauren, after the birth of her second child.
Guillain-Barre syndrome is an auto-immune disorder in which a person's nerves are attacked by the body's defence system, causing a spreading paralysis.
The symptoms typically start in the feet or legs and progress through the body.
The syndrome is understood to be triggered by an acute viral or bacterial illness, such as respiratory or gastrointestinal infections.
The disorder can be mild, moderate or severe, and there is no cure. Most victims recover spontaneously, though some are left with permanent disabilities.
The illness strikes between two and eight people in every 100,000 and is most common in the 30-50-year age group.
Stewart, a legend in the Australian football Hall of Fame, said he was hopeful of a complete recovery, "but it can be a long time".
He said he was relieved to have been sent to the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
"They've been amazingly professional in how they've treated me," he said.
"They're so good at what they do; they couldn't do any more."
His visitors are confined to family.
Stewart played 205 games with St Kilda and Richmond from 1963-75 after being recruited from Hobart. He played in St Kilda's 1966 premiership team and Richmond's premiership team of 1973.
He won the Brownlow in 1965, '66 and '71, one of only four men to have won the game's highest individual award three times.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/more-news/the-flight-of-brownlow-great-ian-stewarts-life/story-e6frf9jf-1226433347887
