There鈥檚 one photo from Gary Parkinson鈥檚 football career that has pride of place in his house.
Taken in 1994, it shows him holding the Division Two play-off trophy aloft at Wembley with his best mate David Eyres after their goals had secured a famous 2-1 win for Burnley against Stockport County.
Fast forward 25 years and the two pals, whose nicknames for each other are 鈥楾weetie Pie鈥� and 鈥楤ig Ears鈥�, are continuing to reminisce about what was probably the greatest day of their careers in the kitchen of Parkinson鈥檚 immaculately tidy home in Bolton.
鈥淚t was the worst goal I鈥檝e ever seen to win a game but probably the most important,鈥� is how Eyres describes his former team-mate鈥檚 deflected strike.
For a split second it鈥檚 just like the old days but something is different. Parkinson 鈥� or Parky as he鈥檚 known in the game 鈥� suffered a life-changing stroke in 2010 that very nearly claimed his life.
Diagnosed with a very rare condition called locked-in syndrome, he鈥檚 unable to move or talk but is completely aware of what鈥檚 going on around him. He communicates by blinking his eyes and using a piece of eye-tracking technology called Tobii.
His devoted wife Deborah, who has been his childhood sweetheart since meeting in Middlesbrough at the age of 16, is hoping advances in technology may find the solution for the condition.
鈥淢edical science is changing all the time,鈥� says the mother-of-three. 鈥淩esearch is being done. Who knows whether it will be in Gary鈥檚 lifetime 鈥� but I believe there will be something out there. Gary has never given up on anything.鈥� Her family鈥檚 life changed forever one Tuesday in September 2010.
Her husband was 42 at the time and working as a youth team coach at Blackpool Football Club with aspirations of one day being a manager.
Parkinson began his career as an apprentice at Everton in 1985 but was best known for his spells at Middlesbrough, Burnley, Preston North End and Blackpool, before a cruciate ligament injury forced him to retire in his early 30s.
鈥淎s a player there probably wasn鈥檛 a better striker of the ball with his right foot,鈥� is how Eyres describes the defender.
Deborah recalls how her husband had been his normal self when he returned from Blackpool FC and the pair had enjoyed a glass of red wine each before going to bed.
鈥淚n the early hours of the morning Gary said he had a headache,鈥� recalls his wife. 鈥淗e asked for some painkillers. I went downstairs for a glass of water and by the time I got back upstairs I could see the coordination had gone from his face and his hands.鈥�
He also struggled to open his eyes so at 6am she called for an ambulance.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 suspect he鈥檇 had a stroke,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 thought he鈥檇 had a reaction to something.鈥�
Parkinson was able to walk to the ambulance, which took him to Royal Bolton Hospital. Initially it was thought he only had an ear infection.
鈥淗e lost his feeling in his left side and that was when I knew it was something more serious,鈥� says Deborah.
Deborah went home to pick up some possessions and check on her children as their son Luke, then 17, was looking after his younger sisters Chloe and Sophie.
By the time she returned to the hospital an hour later her husband鈥檚 condition had taken a dramatic turn for the worst.
鈥淗e鈥檇 been taken to intensive care and was induced into a coma and was on life support,鈥� she says. 鈥淗e was so gravely ill he was given last rites twice.鈥�
It took three scans before he was diagnosed with having had a stroke 鈥� but the news got even worse. When he was taken off one of the machines, his body was completely unresponsive and he was found to have locked-in syndrome.
Locked-in syndrome is a rare neurological disorder which causes complete paralysis of all voluntary muscles except for the ones that control the movements of the eyes. Individuals with the condition are conscious and awake, but can鈥檛 move or speak.
Deborah says the easiest way to describe locked-in syndrome is to imagine all the nerves are wires, travelling up the spine to the brain and then going off in different directions to control movement. The stroke damages the brainstem and prevents messages getting to the brain.
Her husband also has a tracheotomy to assist with his breathing and is fed through his stomach.
鈥淲e know people who have come out of locked-in syndrome,鈥� says Deborah, although she accepts the odds aren鈥檛 encouraging. 鈥淚f you look in the medical books for locked-in syndrome it says 2-3 months life expectancy. Here we are more than eight years later.鈥�
In total Parkinson spent two years in hospital but was able to leave after his house was specially adapted.
鈥淚t was difficult for Gary to come to terms with,鈥� admits his wife. 鈥淗e worried about everybody else. He wanted everybody else to be happy.鈥�
Deborah looks after her husband alongside a team of dedicated carers.
Gary communicates through blinking. 鈥淗is eyes look up for a 鈥榶es鈥� and down for a 鈥榥o鈥�,鈥� she says. 鈥淗e will blink his eyes to indicate he wants to tell us something.鈥� Gary builds up words, one letter at a time, by blinking a certain number of times to indicate each letter. 鈥淭he only movement that that isn鈥檛 affected by your brain stem is your eye socket.鈥�
Parkinson, who is a keen horse racing fan, also uses a sophisticated piece of eye-tracking technology called Tobii.
鈥淕ary uses a piece of equipment called a brain finger,鈥� explains Deborah. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a bit like a headband that straps on to his head and it had little probes and it can pick up muscle and facial movement.
鈥淕ary will twitch his mouth and it will move the cursor on the screen. It鈥檚 amazing but Gary gets frustrated with it.鈥�
Parkinson has a close network of former footballer friends who visit him, including Bernie Slaven, ex Everton and Manchester United manager David Moyes, Lee Turnbull, Eyres and current Blackburn manager Tony Mowbray.
Eyres, who calls his former team-mate 鈥楾weetie Pie鈥� on account of his blond hair in his youth, is a regular and welcome visitor.
鈥淕ary used to call me 鈥楤ig Ears鈥�,鈥� he recalls. 鈥淎s soon as somebody shouted 鈥楤ig Ears鈥� I knew it was Parky.鈥�
Despite their friendship, the two were ultra-competitive when they came up against each other later in their career playing for Oldham and Blackpool respectively.
鈥淗e was one of my mates and he said 鈥業鈥檓 going to kick you Big Ears鈥�,鈥� recalls Eyres with a smile.
I ask Parkinson if it feels like being back in the changing room when his old Burnley team-mate turns up. His eyes look up to indicate yes. 鈥淗as David got any funnier?鈥� I ask. Gary looks down to indicate 鈥榥o鈥�.
Of the stroke, Eyres says: 鈥淕ary has always been a fighter.鈥�
Deborah says the football world couldn鈥檛 have been any nicer and praises the role of the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) and especially its chief executive Gordon Taylor, who came to see her husband soon after his stroke. 鈥淭hey have been very supportive,鈥� says Deborah. 鈥淕ordon sends a Christmas card to Gary every year.鈥�
Against all the odds Parkinson recently celebrated his 50th birthday and likes spending time with his children Luke, who turns 26 on Thursday, Chloe, 22, and Sophie 15. Luke runs the Gary Parkinson Trust Twitter account @GaryParkyTrust.
Deborah is a remarkable person but is quick to downplay her selflessness. She says the 鈥榣ove of Gary鈥� and her family keep her going but admits that funding extra services like her husband鈥檚 weekly trip to the聽hydrotherapy pool and short breaks to special disabled-friendly cottages near Blackpool at Brickhouse Farm, are difficult but essential.
For now, she鈥檚 hoping that technology can unlock her husband鈥檚 condition.