Jack Fowler Opens Up About Being Left Paralysed By Rare Illness

You’d never have known it from looking at his Instagram feed, but former Islander Jack Fowler went through a serious medical scare at the beginning of 2020 which left him paralysed and in a wheelchair. Now that he’s recovered, Jack has spoken out about his experience for the first time to show how we shouldn’t believe everything we see on social media.

Speaking at an Oxford Union event which also featured Amy Hart and Malin Andersson, Jack said:

Instagram, social media is absolutely fake. At the start of this year — no one knows this — I had something called transverse myelitis. I lost all movement in my legs and my left arm, paralysed, I was in a wheelchair for two or three weeks.

Explaining how he hid his ordeal from fans, Jack continued:

On my Instagram I was having a wicked time, I was having a great time. I was in Dubai, I was in Thailand for all of the two weeks because that's the 'gram making it look like that. But realistically, I wasn't — I was going through the hardest time of my life.

Thankfully, Jack seems to have made a full recovery and he’s been keeping busy – recently releasing his debut single Back to Yours ft. Figure Flows and also starring in the music video. He also broke many fans’ hearts not long ago when he went public with his new girlfriend, businesswoman Joanne Baban Morales.

What is transverse myelitis?

Transverse myelitis, an inflammation of the spine, is a very rare neurological condition which occurs in just 300 people per year. It is often not known what causes the disorder, although it can be caused by infection in some cases. Symptoms can include back, leg and arm pain, paralysis and weakness.