WHEN Roy Glover collapsed in Bolton town centre with a mystery condition, he was given a one in 100 chance of survival.

After spending a total of 35 hours in the operating theatre, the 51-year-old and his family thought his time was up.

He collapsed shortly after Gillan Webster, the love of his life for 20 years, had been diagnosed with breast cancer.

But, six months later, Roy and Gillan are both celebrating their recoveries - and are planning to marry.

And they are so grateful to the Royal Bolton Hospital, where they were both treated, that they are donating £1,500 to its intensive care unit.

The couple's nightmare began in January. After Gillan's cancer diagnosis at the Royal Bolton Hospital, they both decided to go shopping in the town centre for a few hours. It was then that Roy felt dizzy and collapsed.

He said: "That is the last thing I remembered for a few months.

"I had no pulse and very low blood pressure, but they didn't know what was wrong with me apart from the fact that I had internal bleeding."

He was taken into the operating theatre for 15-hours of surgery to mend a perforated ulcer. He received 30 units of blood.

A week later, he started bleeding again and a 20-hour operation followed. His stomach, colon, most of his large and small intestine were removed and, after being brought back to life twice, he was given a one per cent chance of survival.

Gillan and their four children prayed for a miracle as Roy spent four weeks on a life-support machine.

And they got one.

After a nine-week stay in hospital, and weighing four stones less, Roy was allowed home to Rochdale temporarily.

He said: "The doctors said I was bomb-proof. The doctors and nurses at Bolton saved my life. They are wonderful people and treated us so well."

Things are now starting to looking up for the couple. Gillan spent a week in hospital in March after a cancerous lump was removed from her breast but was soon given the all-clear.

Roy's friends at the Firgrove Working Men's Club in Rochdale, where he is treasurer have raised about £1,500, which they are donating to the intensive care unit on Saturday.

Roy is now in Salford's Hope Hospital where he will remain until August while he receives intensive nutritional treatment to stop him losing any more weight - and try to help him put some on.

But his miracles did not stop at surviving. He managed to walk his daughter, Vicky, aged 29, down the aisle when she married John Waddington in May.

On top of that, he now has his own wedding to attend. The couple will marry at Rochdale register office on August 6.

Roy said: "We have been through such a lot, but it is the nearest and dearest who suffer most. It is my aim to get out for the wedding that we have been planning for nearly 20 years!"