“They wanted to transfer me to Broadgreen Hospital in Liverpool but I wouldn’t have survived the journey,” said Danny.
He had to stay in hospital in Bangor until he was “strong enough” to make the trip, and underwent heart surgery in Liverpool on 6 July, which lasted six hours.
“My brother told me after that the operation was unsuccessful,” he said.
“That was the first time the situation hit me on an emotional level and I felt really sad. I told my brother that I was tired of the whole thing, tired of fighting.”
But, within a couple of days, a doctor told Danny that they had been given a special machine to help his blood clot properly, and they wanted to try the operation again.
It was successful the second time, with the infection cleared and the hole in the mitral valve closed.
After the operation, Danny was told he had suffered a series of strokes while in and out of consciousness.
“When the doctor was reading his notes afterwards, he said it was a miracle that I was still alive,” said Danny, adding he had been told “the probability of survival was 1%”.
Danny was transferred back to Ysbyty Gwynedd to begin his recovery.
“I couldn’t walk at first, I didn’t have the strength to do anything,” he said.
“I had lost my independence.”
But Danny said he saw progress after a couple of weeks, adding: “I walked with my daughter, Harriet, for the first time in months and that was very emotional.
“My family were a big part of my recovery and a big help as I fought through the whole thing. That’s what got me through.”
