Warwick Davis has revealed his wife was so ill with sepsis, he told their children to 'say goodbye' to her.
The Harry Potter star, 52, shares Annabelle, 25 and Harrison, 19 with Sam, 51, who he describes as his "soulmate".
After being rushed to hospital, saying she was feeling drowsy, doctors became concerned about a scar on the mum-of-two's back from a spinal surgery that was “inflamed with fluid, red, and hot to touch”.
Samples of the fluid found lethal A Streptococcus bacteria and a meningitis infection and the family were told “Sam could die” if she didn't have surgery immediately.
Recalling the harrowing experience, Warwick revealed: Our family gathered by her bedside; although optimistic, we were sort of saying goodbye in case Sam didn’t survive," reports The Sun.
Luckily, following her operation and time spent in intensive care, Sam pulled through, but the actor admitted had it not been for her treatment, she could have lost fingers, toes or even limbs.
After being discharged, Sam was looked after by her husband, who 'played doctor' for three months, administering drugs via syringe and then drip to Sam's heart.
Speaking of the effect the ordeal had on him, the Extras actor admitted: “I broke down every night thinking that this terrible illness that came out of nowhere might take my soulmate away from me."
Warwick also revealed both he and Sam still suffer from a sort of PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) as they come to terms with what happened.
Sepsis causes the body’s immune system to go into overdrive and attack tissues and organs, which can be deadly and lead to amputations.
Warwick now wants to educate people about the potentially lethal condition and launched an emotional video on behalf of the UK Sepsis Trust in May.
He said of the campaign: "The UK Sepsis Trust is a charity that is close to my heart, and I was made more aware of the condition through my acting career.
"It’s astonishing how many people are affected by sepsis on a day-to-day basis, and I’m honoured to help spread the message to ensure as many people as possible know there is a place to go for support and guidance."
