A GRATEFUL dad-of-two has paid emotional thanks to medics who fought to save his life as he lost blood faster than doctors could transfuse it back into his body.

Luke Golder paid tribute to medics whose swift action kept him alive when he was taken to Southend Hospital in June last year suffering from severe internal bleeding.

It came after a tough few years for Luke, which also saw him recover from Epstein Bar Virus, fight back from a brain haemorrhage and suffer a seizure on his wife’s birthday.

When he was admitted with the internal bleeding, Luke was diagnosed with the rare digestive system disorder Meckels Diverticulum and was forced to have emergency surgery at Southend Hospital.

Recovering from surgery and living with an ileostomy – where the small intestine is diverted through an opening in the stomach - are both experiences Luke believes to be his greatest challenge by far, both mentally and physically.

But the 34-year-old, from Canewdon, knows he wouldn’t be here without the dedication of Southend Hospital staff.

He said: “After a day of trying to find the source of the bleed, surgeons performed an emergency laparotomy to save me.

“Due to the astonishing work of my surgeon, the team of NHS staff from porters to anaesthetists, and 27 units of blood, I survived.

“The problem was diagnosed as a Meckels Diverticulum, a rare condition that affects 2 per cent of the population.”

And to say thank you to the hospital, while highlighting the importance of giving blood, Luke embarked on quite the epic rowing challenge - just eight months after two major operations.

Having never rowed a boat in his life, it wasn’t all smooth-sailing.

But with the help of Dawn Wood - the second fastest woman to ever row the Atlantic in just 51 days - he learnt how to row.

It took him just five months to learn what to do and get fit enough to complete a 20-mile solo route of the River Crouch.

He has now raised a fantastic £3,500 for Southend Hospital’s Kitty Hubbard Ward, which will go towards buying the latest equipment for their patients.

Luke added: “The Kitty Hubbard team saved my life. And they didn’t just help me to recover, they cared for me with so much attention and made me smile every day.

“I received 27 units of blood, which is why I am here today and why giving blood now means so much to me.”

Gill Donohue, senior critical care nurse, added: “It is really fantastic that we have received this money from Luke.

“It gives staff a real buzz to know they are appreciated and we are so grateful to Luke for completing the rowing challenge and raising so much money. Critical care and high dependency units are very specialised areas. This money will help us buy the very latest equipment.”

that will have a real impact on our patients.”