Dad paralysed in Manchester bombing has movement back in his legs after moving to Australia for groundbreaking treatment
A MANCHESTER terror victim paralysed by the bomb blast has regained movement in his legs thanks to radical therapy.
Martin Hibbert, 41, has spoken out about the incredible moment he saw his toes wiggling just hours after receiving the specialist treatment in Australia.
Martin and his teenage daughter were VIP ticket holders at the Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena on May 22 last year, that ended in tragedy when 22 people were killed in a terror attack.
Martin's body was ripped apart by 22 bolts when the bomb detonated - causing injuries as if he was shot dozens of times at point blank range - and he was told he may never walk again.
But he heard about the pioneering treatment and decided to fly to Queensland to undergo NeuroPhysics Therapy.
Speaking to the he said: "It was incredible when my toes moved for the first time.
"I was lying on a bed, watching TV, when I spotted the first movement. I still couldn't feel anything but my toes were moving by themselves. By the next morning, I was able to flex them back and forth."
He said he saw a "new miracle" each day, able to sit up unaided and even being able to bend and lift his legs.
During the two weeks of treatment he also mastered cycling, crossing his legs, kneeling on all fours and even crawling.
He said that he had always been determined - and so when doctors told him that he may never walk again, he was determined to prove them wrong.
He said: "From the moment the blast happened I have wanted to stick two fingers up to the terrorists and say 'You can take away my legs but you are not going to take away my life'."
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On his final session last week he told the Mirror Online feeling had even started to return to his toes, legs and lower abdomen.
Martin now has a daily programme to follow back home in Bolton and is planning to return to the clinic in autumn.
Football agent Martin was the closest survivor to the bomb which killed 22 people. His daughter survived a serious head injury.
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