A dad left with horrific burns after self-harming has thanked hospital staff for nursing him back to life.
Matt Lloyd said: “I really believe that without their help, I wouldn’t be here.
“They saved me and gave me back to my sons.”
The 54-year-old suffered devastating wounds following the incident last August after the breakdown of his 12-year relationship.
With 60-70 per cent full-body burns, doctors at Glasgow Royal Infirmary operated quickly to save Matt’s life and prevent further damage to his muscles.
He spent six weeks in ICU before being transferred to the hospital’s burns unit where he underwent another four operations.
The first thing he remembers after waking up was speaking to his two sons on the phone.
He said: “I felt so guilty about what I had put them through and explained to them and my family that I didn’t do it because I didn’t love them. I just didn’t love myself at that time.”
During his time on the burns unit Matt was looked after by physiotherapists, occupational therapists and healthcare support workers, as well as mental health teams who address the impacts of the trauma.
Catriona Murray, a senior physiotherapist on the unit, said: “A burn injury is often a life-changing injury, not just for the patient, but for their family too.
"We come together as a team, to help encourage functional tasks, our goal is to help get people back to functioning as they were before their injury.”
Thanking the nursing team, Matt said: “I really believe that without their help, I wouldn’t be here.”
If you’re having a difficult time and need support, you can contact Samaritans, 24 hours a day on 116 123 or at www.samaritans.org.
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