A dad who was up in a coma for six days has spoken out about his terrifying ordeal, describing it as the 'scariest thing'. Danny Stewart went to A&E with his wife Sylvia as he 'wasn't feeling well'.
Just one day before, the dad-of-two had half of his skin graft, on his lower inside of his left arm, removed. In 2019, the now 53-year-old was in a motorbike accident when he was coming home after spending six months as a driver with the army.
The accident resulted in a string of injuries, including breaking his left arm in three places (leading to a skin graft), a damaged spleen, as well as cuts and bruises. It took four years for him to have the skin graft removed.
Speaking to Nottingham Live, his wife recalls the day they took him into A&E: "We woke up in the morning and he was in a little bit of pain - but we kind of expected that. We did not expect it to be completely pain free - we just thought that was normal.
"So I went to work, my daughter went to work, and we left him home." Sylvia came back home at around 4.30pm, after getting calls from her husband who was "very uncomfortable".
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She continued: "He was saying 'my bandages are too tight', and he was feeling sick. He was feeling really hot and very cold, then hot and cold - it was very weird."
Within 20 minutes of waiting at the Urgent Treatment Centre at City Link, the pair rushed to the A&E at the Queen's Medical Centre. This is the last thing that Danny remembers.
Sylvia said: "On the morning of June 8, he was put in an induced coma because he had sepsis and Strep A." The heartbroken wife remembers how on that morning she arrived at the hospital having slept just two hours the previous night.
"I had to go into one of the rooms in intensive care and there were five people around him. I was told that because of the amount of infection that he had, he was poorliest person in intensive care."
She added: "We only went to the QMC to get some painkillers. That is the only reason we went.
"And he ended up in a coma for six days. The man had been through hell.
"He is supposed to be strong and to see him lying there, absolutely helpless in that hospital bad was a nightmare." Mrs Stewart has spoken over her fears after the "14 days of hell" by her husband's side, adding: "My husband's father died of sepsis.
"So as soon as I heard that word I just thought the worst. Luckily I have been able to bring him home.
"It has been a nightmare. It has been 14 days of hell." Danny was discharged on June 23 and has been back home ever since, but he has not been able to move his hand.
Danny says: "I just want to get out and do stuff. I keep getting told off for even getting up and walking up the stairs at the moment.
"It has been scariest thing that I have ever witnessed in my life. I am scared that I will get it again - and I really do not want that. I can remember being sick every 30 odd seconds and just not being able to catch my breath.
"I remember going into the A&E to book myself in and while she parked the car. And I do not remember anything else after that."
He described the sensation as being "delusional and delirious", adding: "I do not know what was real and what was not. I do not know if it was a dream or if I was talking to people."
Danny's biggest wish is a speedy recovery so he can start using his hand again. His favourite activities are riding his motorbike and playing on his PlayStation - and he hopes to be able to return to his passions soon.
His wife set up a fundraiser to help raise money for the adaptations that they will need to introduce once he is back to work. For example, a special steering wheel that would help him only rely on his right arm while driving.
The fundraiser has raised £1,005 out of the £5,000 target at the time of writing. On July 12, the couple will also be celebrating their 26th wedding anniversary.
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