Dad wrote will on phone and made video for daughter after being told 'we don't know how you're alive'

A dad was told to get his affairs in order from a hospital bed hours before a lifesaving operation.

Bodybuilder Neil Andrews was so unwell with a cardiac infection that a doctor told him 'we don't know how you're alive'.

He was given eight hours to turn things around with vital surgery. Thankfully, the 45-year-old survived the operation, Wales Online reports.

Neil, a 12-time Mr Wales winner, stayed in hospital for two-and-a-half months, losing 20kg in weight at the time before returning to bodybuilding following the ordeal. Now, he is speaking out to encourage others to live an active lifestyle, after NHS medics said his high fitness levels were the reason he survived.

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Recalling his sudden illness back in March 2022, Neil, from Swansea, said: "I woke up on a Sunday and was shivering uncontrollably. I thought it was flu or a virus. I got changed and went out with the family but had to turn the car around because I felt so fatigued. I was admitted into Singleton Hospital.

"They did all kinds of tests. They thought it might be meningitis first of all. They did three lumbar punctures that came back negative. They sent me home and when I got home I had a phone call saying come straight back, we found bacteria in your blood. I came back and that's when I kind of went downhill. I ended up in intensive care before being blue-lighted to Morriston Hospital's cardiac centre."

An echocardiogram revealed that he had a heart condition called infective endocarditis of the aortic valve that required immediate lifesaving surgery. Neil said: "I will never forget the words of the consultant, Mr Zaidi, he said, 'We don't know how you are alive. You have been in acute heart failure for two weeks, but you are so physically fit and strong you are here. We've got eight hours to try and do something or you won't see another eight hours. Personally, I'd get your affairs in order because you are in a bad way'."

Neil added: "I made a video recording for my daughter and wrote my will on my phone. They took me down to surgery the next morning. I honestly didn't think I would survive. My very first thought when I came around, after surgery was, 'I'm alive!'"

It is not surprising with Neil's passion for fitness that he took on recovery with everything he had.

Talking about the recovery, Neil said: "I had lots of ups and downs. Physically I had lost 20kg (more than 3 stone) in weight. I had to learn how to walk again. I couldn't walk without help. The physiotherapy team was brilliant. Everyone on social media was following me. I'm not one to just sit there and see my recovery out. I was trying to do a little bit more every day.

"I decided one day to try a flight of stairs – I walked up one flight and my heart rate was 148 and I was gasping for air. Every day it got a bit better and better."

Neil was full of praise for the staff at the hospital. He said: "The staff were amazing. I can't speak highly enough of them. They saved my life. They were unbelievable. To be honest, after two and a half months I didn't want to go home. I felt safe and secure."

While slowly building up his recovery, Neil was able to return to bodybuilding. He said: "When I came out of hospital the goal wasn't to go back to bodybuilding – it was just to recover. I thought I'd just try to be healthy and get back to some sort of normality. They said no training of your upper body for three months because the surgery had cut my sternum open. I went to the gym and kept things light. I couldn't even curl a 2.5kg dumbbell.

"To me, that was just another goal. This year I thought, can I be competitive again? And low and behold, I won an IFBB show and overall champion, then I won a qualifier for the British Championships in PCA and won it. I won the British title and was given my professional card, then went to the pro show and won the pro show and the top prize money. I quite literally won it all."

Mr Afzal Zaidi, consultant cardiothoracic surgeon, explained Neil's illness. He said: "Neil had a condition called infective endocarditis of the aortic valve, which is a life-threatening condition. In fact, in his case the aortic valve had been completely destroyed by the infection. He was on the intensive care unit with, essentially, his lungs flooded with water. He was very critically ill. On the verge of death really.

"So we took him as an emergency into the operating theatre and replaced his aortic valve with a mechanical valve. And he made a fantastic recovery on account of all the efforts of the team including, most importantly, the patient.

"Whenever we do heart surgery, it's always our aim to get the person back to their preoperative fitness. We want to get them back to their fitness before the heart problems started. In the case of Neil, he was obviously so fit it's a real testament to his efforts that he managed to get back to winning the British Championship. It's incredible that he managed to do that. We are all very pleased with how well he has done."

Mr Zaidi paid tribute to the huge team that helped Neil. He said: "There's a big team in the operating theatre – about 10 people all doing their jobs very slickly, then in the intensive care unit, on the ward, the nurses and physiotherapists – there's a big team involved in heart surgery and everyone has to be working at a very high level to get such sick people through."

Sammy Bradley, a sister in the cardiac centre and pre-assessment lead, reinforced the need for patients to play a role in their recovery. She said: "The patient has an important role to play and is an equal part of the team. It is important for patients to recognise the importance of working together with the team to enhance their recovery after surgery.

"This will significantly reduce complications, reduce hospital length of stay and help to regain physical fitness and independence quicker. Neil is a testament to that ethos and I hope will prove to be an inspiration to others."