There are various cases of Tourette’s, but the one that is the most obvious – and most damaging – is the vocal variety. This kid developed the syndrome 9 months ago and decided take to the skies along with a someone to film him to show the world what it’s like to live with something for which there is no cure.

As Lewis Nickell checks in at Belfast airport, his Tourette’s flares up badly and he is captured blurting out “I’m a terrorist” and “Bomb!” all while trying to explain what he is going through.

Lewis’ condition has reached such extremes in such a short amount of time that he is unable to attend events and birthdays of his young nieces and nephews. But he doesn’t let it get him down. Instead, he wants to show the world what’s up in a humorous but enlightening way. So he decided to go to the airport:

Going to the airport is one of the trickiest things someone with Tourette’s or suffering from tics can do – for obvious reasons.

People had been asking me for ages to make a video of this so when I had a flight booked to see family I thought it was perfect timing.

My brother told the staff why we were filming and that I had Tourette’s and they treated me like any other passenger.

Most people realised that I had a condition but there was a point where I shouted ‘bomb’ and I saw a woman look at me – she was mortified.

There were a few people looking very worried, especially when I found myself shouting that I was a terrorist, but the staff remained calm and carried on so I think that made people relax.

It’s all real and shows what anyone with my condition would go through but I don’t do it for sympathy, I don’t want people feeling sorry for me.

Tourette’s syndrome is a neurological disorder characterised by involuntary movements or noises known as tics, often including obscenities.

I don’t like offending people and I know that shouting things like this is very offensive, particularly where I live.

This is one of the reasons why I began making the videos. I had got to the point where I was too scared to go out and I couldn’t even go to the shops for fear of what I would shout.

I thought that if the videos got shared around the area then people would know me and then understand it is just my Tourette’s and not my fault at all.

And it is great because it worked and everyone in the area knows me now so I never have any trouble.

[source: mirror]