A SEVERELY disabled property investor has penned an inspiring book telling how anyone can do anything they set their mind to.

Patrick Souiljaert, 40, was deprived of oxygen for the first four minutes of his life and as a result denied the gift of easy movement and speech.

Despite considerable hurdles and stigma Patrick, of Shoreham, carved a successful career as a BT programmer and has built up a property portfolio.

His frank book Stairs for Breakfast shares his experience of being an articulate, highly intelligent person but being patronised as an “idiot”.

Far from being depressing, the book is darkly funny, its title coming from a comment he made to an estate agent in 2011.

He was waiting to view a second-floor flat and when told there was no lift, he said “don’t worry, I eat stairs for breakfast”.

Patrick said: “I decided to write the book last year but I’d thought about it for two-and-a-half years before that.

“I’ve been a through a lot emotional pain in my life and had a really difficult childhood.

“When I was 12 I would push myself to the shops in my wheelchair and people would look at me like I was an idiot. I’ve always been put down by people who say I can’t do things like drive, work or walk.

“I knew if I wanted to get on with life I would need good people skills. I want to inspire people to know you can overcome anything you want, you’ve just got to have the belief and desire to do it.

“When I got into property investment I learned a lot about people and human behaviour and I realised that some people in my life had never accepted my cerebral palsy.

“People said my story was inspiring, which was surprising because I see myself as a regular guy.

“I’m a funny person so the book’s got quite a lot of humour in.”

Publication of the book, which took 15 months to write, is being funded by pre-orders.

So far he has had 173 orders and needs just under 100 more to pay for the £4,000 costs.

See www.stairsforbreakfast.com