Army vet thought he had 'bad cough' but within hours he was in a coma

Common winter virus almost killed the former soldier

- By OWEN HUGHES Chief Reporter

A NORTH Wales army veteran and father-of-four was heading into work despite what he described as a “bad cough”.

But when a colleague told him his lips “looked blue” he went to his GP before quickly being rushed to hospital.

Alan Watson, 55, was diagnosed with flu and spent two weeks in an induced coma in intensive care battling for his life.

He was in hospital for more than a month as staff worked to stop his body shutting down completely. Alan says no one can understand what he went through - and few realise how serious flu can be.

The Wrexham dad is just one of almost 1,000 patients who tested positive for flu at hospitals in North Wales last year. Now the health board is encouraging everyone eligible for the annual NHS flu vaccine to take up their invitation to get protected this winter.

Alan, who served for 12 years and on multiple overseas operations, was on his way into work when a colleague stopped him and told him his lips “looked blue”. He had had a nasty cough, but hadn't thought it was anything more than a bad cold.

He went to his GP surgery and was found to have very low levels of oxygen in his blood, so rushed to the Emergency Department at Wrexham Maelor Hospital. He can’t remember anything after he was hurried to critical care.