A MAN who had an emergency wedding in hospital after being given just days to live, is celebrating his second wedding anniversary today after surprising doctors with a miraculous recovery.
When doctors told him he had life-threatening complications which meant they expected him to have just days left to live, Bendigo Davies, who lives in Tenbury Wells, had one last request to marry his partner of 40 years, Arlaine.
Bendigo, age 77, had been admitted to Worcestershire Royal Hospital in a critical condition. He was told he had Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) and a blood clot in the lung, triggered by a very high level of leukaemia cells.
This required urgent treatment with a blood thinner, but risked causing dangerous bleeding as his blood platelets were seriously low due to AML.
On January 26 2024, just three days after being admitted to hospital, staff on the Laurel 3 ward at Worcestershire Royal Hospital transformed the ward into a beautiful setting for Bendigo and Arlaine’s special day.
Patients and staff lined the corridor to celebrate, ‘here comes the bride’ was sung as Arlaine walked down the makeshift aisle, as applause, cheers, and smiles echoed around the ward, marking an emotional occasion.
Bendigo said: “I truly believe the reason I survived is because I knew I was getting married. That hope kept me alive.”
When a blood test result from his GP came back with a high white blood cell count, Bendigo was sent to Worcestershire Royal Hospital.
His condition had deteriorated and following a bone marrow biopsy and specialist tests, Bendigo was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML).
Further investigations also found that Bendigo had a clot on the lung making treatment with a blood thinner very challenging in the presence of a low level of platelet cells and further complicating a complex clinical condition.
Less than 24 hours later, Bendigo was declared in a critical condition with a life-expectancy of less than one month.
In addition to needing urgent treatment for AML, he needed treatment for the blood clot on his lung and bleeding preventative measures, which often comes with life-threatening complications when a patient also has leukaemia.
After tying the knot at Worcestershire Royal Hospital, Bendigo spent the next six weeks being treated with Venetoclax and Azacitidine, a form of chemotherapy.
Against all odds, he was discharged home with his new wife in early March 2024 to enjoy a belated honeymoon.
Two years later, Bendigo’s AML is in complete remission but still requires a cycle of five full days of chemotherapy treatment every six weeks for the rest of his life.
Bendigo said: “I couldn’t praise the nurses, doctors and staff enough, the care I received was incredible. I still go to the hospital every six weeks for treatment, and it is lovely to catch up with the staff, they have been amazing.”
