A father has revealed his last words before being put in an induced coma after being given a 50-50 chance of survival when he came down with Covid-19.
Darren Buttrick had no underlying health issues when he went to hospital in March 2020 after being one of the first 2,000 Covid-positive cases in the UK.
He was given 15 minutes to call his loved ones to tell them he might not make it.
The now 51-year-old told The Mirror: "The nurse told me 'you have a 50/50 chance at survival, your body is starting to shut down you have to do this and we hope you can fight it.
"'There are no drugs on for this and you just have to breathe. You have got 15 minutes to ring loved ones and tell them what is happening but prepare them as it could be the last time you speak with them.'
"I was crying and in that 15 minutes, I rang my wife, parents, siblings and a couple of friends - I tried to message work."
Darren recalls a frontline worker holding his hand up until he was put into a coma.
He said: "My last words before being put in a coma were 'Please don't let me die, I have children, I cannot die'.
"Kate [a nurse] started crying and said 'fight for your life that's all you can do' and that is the last thing I remember."
Darren, who now lives in Wolverhampton, South Staffordshire, was in a coma for seven days before doctors tried to wake him up.
He says he immediately tried to rip out the tubes in his nose and body before being put back under.
When he was woken up the second time he tried to rip the tube out of his mouth.
He said: "I woke up and remember a nurse named Sergio was holding my hand and saying 'You are alive and awake'.
"The ventilator is the worst feeling. It's like being suffocated because it's breathing for you but you are also trying to breathe."
Taking stock of his surroundings, Darren saw other people in hospital beds in a coma and staff in full PPE. He was put under once again.
He said: "I was woken up with a nurse named Dawn holding my hand and stroking my arm saying 'Darren you are safe and well and off the ventilator' and immediately I had tears rolling down my face."
He managed to FaceTime his wife knowing he was out of the woods, but remained very weak.
He said: "I was so weak I couldn't hold a glass of water or lift a spoon to feed myself Weetabix.
"I was the sixth person in that ICU with Covid and I was told by the staff that I was clapped out, which I don't remember.
"They told me 'we all clapped you out, you were the first to leave alive because none of us had seen anyone leave alive. You gave us hope that we can survive this'".
Darren spent 12 days in the hospital and when he was released at the beginning of April the UK had plunged into its first Covid-19 lockdown.
He spent the next two weeks in bed before regaining his strength to go for walks.
He was soon asked if he wanted to donate plasma as part of a new pilot scheme for the NHS since he had the Covid antibodies.
When the jab rollout started, he also volunteered his time at vaccine centres.
Darren said: "I thought people saved my life and did things they normally wouldn't have and it was my way of giving back and helping others.
"I also volunteered at a vaccination centre, I worked at Walsall Manor Hospital and Sadler Shopping Centre.
"I would go every weekend and I enjoyed that and helping people through the processing."
Darren remains committed to giving back and is now an advocate for men to get their prostate checked after he was diagnosed with cancer after agreeing to a medical check as part of a routine check-up.
One in eight men in the UK will get prostate cancer in their lifetime, according to prostatecanceruk.org.
Men can request a prostate test from the age of 50 on the NHS.
He said: "In September 2021, I went for a medical check and I was asked if I wanted a prostate test. I had no idea they were checking for cancer and I didn't have any of the symptoms.
"I was diagnosed with prostate cancer in December 2021 and cried my eyes thinking 'why me?'"
Darren underwent a unique treatment called cyber knife therapy in May this year and should find out soon if the treatment was successful.
He said: "Men are entitled to get tested on the NHS at the age of 50. It is something that affects one in eight men."
Darren's experience with battling Covid has led him to have his story told through Story Terrace in hopes it inspires others to keep fighting.
He said: "The book is about fighting for your life. It's a sense of giving back because life is so precious.
"I try and always think that someone is worse off than me."
Darren also says he is still in touch with the nurses who saved his life.
He said: "There is emotional scarring, when I first returned home I was terrified of going to sleep and drifting off because I was afraid of never waking up.
"I think I had stayed home one more night I don't think I would have been here another day. And I think those acts of kindness have helped with the emotional scarring."
Darren's story 15 Minutes and Counting: Never Stop Fighting can be bought here and all profits are going to charity.
Rutger Bruining, Founder and CEO of StoryTerrace, comments on the power of the written word and the benefits of sharing one’s experiences: "Sharing experiences has always been a powerful tool of expression and preservation.
"Now we know as research suggests, it also is also extremely beneficial for our mental health and represents a beacon of hope for others going through similar circumstances.
"When we take a step back and consider the value of sharing and telling our stories, we see only benefits to the individual, their family, friends, loved ones and even members of the public who can relate to a similar experience.
“There is power in the written word, and I am honoured to work at a company where over amazing ghostwriters get the chance to enjoy their love of writing and curate relationships with clients where they feel listened to and appreciated. The magic of books - is that they are there forever. The legacy is literally preserved in an art form to be cherished and passed down."
