A Carlisle dad who was left paralysed by a terrifying mystery illness has vowed he will walk again.

A few weeks ago Paul Donaldson, 44, of Caldewgate, was enjoying life with wife Kerry and three-year-old daughter Emily.

He had no idea that a sudden illness was about to leave him paralysed from the neck down.

Paul, who is well known across the city, was rushed to hospital in Carlisle and later Newcastle.

Two weeks on and he has regained some feeling and movement, but remains seriously ill.

Doctors still don't know what caused it, suspecting a virus may have attacked his spine.

But Paul, who runs Carlisle Cult Cinema Club and has played in local bands, is determined it won't beat him.

He has vowed that he will walk again, and is continuing to run the club from his hospital bed.

Friends have launched a fundraising campaign for equipment to help when he is eventually allowed home.

Delivery driver Paul, who works for Hermes, explained how he initially thought he was having a heart attack.

"It started on Tuesday, January 29. I was out working, delivering parcels, when I started feeling a numb pins and needles sensation on my legs," he said.

Initially he thought nothing of it, but the numbness started to get worse and he began to get pain in his back and chest.

He was delivering to Cartmell Shepherd, and told the receptionist that he thought he might be having a heart attack.

"She called an ambulance. They turned up about 10 minutes later. By this time I could just feel my right leg," he said.

Paul was taken to hospital, but tests showed his heart was fine. However he was still in a lot of pain, which doctors thought could be due to a pulled muscle in his chest and trapped nerve in his back. He was booked in for further tests and offered a bed, but Paul thought someone else would need it more and went home to rest.

"My right leg was dead but that happens with trapped nerves. I went home and couldn’t get up stairs so spent the night on the couch.

"I woke up the next day much the same, but my left leg was weaker," he recalled.

Later that day he tried to get up but his leg gave way. Kerry called the doctor, who rang for an ambulance.

"I still had some movement in my left leg but it was getting weaker," he said.

"The doctors looked into everything. I had MRI scans, CAT scans and X-rays, but nothing was showing up.

"They tried to do another MRI scan but I was in so much pain, shaking and had to be brought out early as I started to vomit in pain.

"For the next few hours I could feel my body going numb and I was losing the use of my arms and hands."

Paul was transferred to Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary, for more tests.

He said it was "absolutely terrifying" and he kept hoping it was all a bad dream.

In Newcastle, he was given steroids through a drip and began to regain some feeling in his hands.

He has since been working hard at physiotherapy, determined that he will regain all of his movement.

He had a breakthrough earlier this week when he managed to lift both feet off the ground briefly.

Paul said thinking of Kerry and Emily are all the motivation he needs to keep going.

"Kerry is a fantastic wife and mum. I miss them both so much but I will beat this and be walking again," he said.

"I know that some days there might be no improvement and that just means I try that little harder the next day."

Paul, who also has a monthly film slot on BBC Radio Cumbria, is also planning future film club events to help him stay focused.

He has thanked everyone for their messages of support, and all the health staff for his care.

He is particularly humbled by the fundraising campaign set up by his friends, which has already surpassed its target to raise hundreds of pounds for a special recliner chair.

"There is still no diagnosis. They think it might be a virus or infection that has attacked my spine and nervous system, or maybe the beginnings of MS (multiple sclerosis).

"At the moment they don't know until all the tests come back, but we will find out and tackle it no matter what."

Paul is hoping to be back on the radio by phone on February 22.

Although he won't there in person, he's also promoting the cinema club's next events - including a Grease double bill on February 23 and a

charity screening of the original Star Wars film on March 16 - at Harraby Community Theatre.

For more information visit the Carlisle Cult Cinema Club Facebook page.

To support the fundraising campaign visit: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ian-cunningham-2?utm_term=YjYXvkaq2