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Long Blondes' man hopes to play guitar with 'revolutionary glove'

The Long Blondes, Amersham Arms, London, March 11, 2008.    Pic: James Quinton

The Long Blondes, Amersham Arms, London, March 11, 2008. Pic: James Quinton

Dorian Cox says he is 'getting back on track' after stroke

Former Long Blondes' guitarist and songwriter Dorian Cox has revealed he is using a "revolutionary" mechanical glove to help him regain the use of his right hand.

Cox suffered a stroke in June 2008, leaving him paralysed down the right side of his body. He was left unable to play guitar.

The device being used by Cox, called a SaeboFlex, allows him to use of his wrist to grasp and release objects.

Speaking of his treatment, Cox explained: "It's a fantastic service, it's helping tremendously and I think it can work wonders for me and others – it's almost like a gym for my hand.

"I know things might never be the same again and nobody can give me a definite answer about whether I'll play guitar again, but I'm getting back on track with their help."

Cox also revealed details about how he initially dealt with his illness, telling The Daily Telegraph: "It was so strange because it came out of the blue and when I was told I thought 'I'm too young for this'. It was difficult to take in because I thought strokes only happened in older people and I'd always been in pretty good health.

"My right arm and leg aren't really usable so I can't play guitar. That was a nightmare because it meant the band couldn't carry on and my livelihood had suddenly gone. But it could have been a lot worse."

As NME.COM previously reported, The Long Blondes announced they were splitting up in October.

Comments (1)

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David McCaffredy 

Dec 1, 2008

Best of luck, Dorian. Keep up your spirits and you'll be back to creating music in no time.

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