A man who was brutally attacked in Thanet and left in a coma has taken his first big steps on the road to recovery.

Joe Shaw, of Denmark Road, Ramsgate, uttered the words "long time coming" as he was filmed walking with the use of a special machine at a physical therapy session.

Watch the moment Joe Shaw took his first steps in two years

Joe returned from travelling in Australia to visit his family when his life was forever changed on March 17 during a night out in Ramsgate.

Liam Bayliss, then 24, assaulted Joe near Rokka Bar, on Harbour Parade, leaving him in a coma and hospitalised for over a year.

Bayliss was jailed for more than four years for his premeditated drunken search for a fight.

Despite having no movement on his left side after waking from the coma, Joe has been making what people around him describe as a "remarkable recovery".

Now living in his own home with the help of a full-time caring team, Joe is working to overcome his physical and mental obstacles to live life to the full again.

Joe's mum Nancy Shaw said his determination is inspiring to everybody who meets him.

Describing the feeling of watching Joe take his first steps in two years, she said: "It was the most incredible moment, however I was expecting it.

"I knew he was going to walk and I know he's going to talk perfectly again.

"This is the start of a new chapter and the next step forward."

"They can kick my head like a football, but they will never take my smile..."

Currently Joe communicates by speaking certain phrases and pointing to letters on an alphabetic crib sheet.

He said: "They can kick my head like a football, but they will never take my smile."

Now the 26-year-old has set his sights on his next big goal.

He said: "I'm going to Ibiza in July and I want to walk into the sea."

A fundraising campaign set up by the Clockwork Orange events promoter raised more than £8,000 to help pay for Joe's equipment and a trip to Ibiza in the summer.

Patrick Kennedy-Sanigar, one of Joe's carers, is part of the so-called 'Orange Army' and said it will be at one of the Clockwork Orange events in Ibiza when Joe will realise his next goal.

He said: "At one of their events called the 'Shhh' beach party, people are saying Joe will be walking into the sea, with a whole bunch of the Orange Army."

The carer added: "When you meet and have someone like Joe in your life, it's an honour."

The video of Joe walking has been watched 25,000 times on Facebook and received hundreds of reactions.

Mrs Shaw said the kindness of people in the local area has been a huge part of building Joe's path to recovery.

She said: "The support from the community has been the most awesome, incredible feeling.

"Without that support Joe wouldn't be back home, he would still be in a hospital environment as a patient.

"All I can say is a massive thank you."

With the help of fundraising campaigns, Joe's home was adapted so he is able to move between his motorized wheelchair and his bed.

The staircase was also modified so the bottom half can be wheeled away from the front door, giving Joe enough room to leave the house in his wheelchair.

The community has now organised a fundraising party to raise more money towards Joe's continuing rehabilitation.

Hear more from Joe and his mum in our daily news podcast

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