Dad fighting for life after toothache turns into deadly infection

By James Connolly

A dad nearly died after a toothache developed into a deadly heart infection, leaving him battling sepsis and a series of strokes.

Danny Ellis, 42, thought the agonizing pain would be cured by a trip to the dentist and some antibiotics.

But weeks later, doctors discovered a hole in his heart valve - and surgeons had to abandon a lifesaving operation when his blood refused to clot.

The infection is believed to have spread from his tooth into his bloodstream before attacking his heart’s valve, causing a hole to develop in the delicate tissue.

Danny, from Llanrwst, Wales, said: “Back in April, we were having a week away and I just woke up in the middle of the night with excruciating toothache.

“I took some painkillers and thought I’ll call a dentist when I get back.”

The father of one had previously undergone work on the tooth. His dentist prescribed antibiotics, which initially appeared to work.

But the agony returned in May and an X-ray failed to reveal the cause. Another course of antibiotics brought only temporary relief.

Danny, who co-owns a SPAR store in Betws-y-Coed, began feeling ill with what seemed like flu in June.

He said: “I’m never off ill and I just said to some of my staff I was going to have to take the rest of the week off. I really didn’t feel right.”

His wife Ceri then spotted red marks across his arms, legs and body, believed to be Janeway lesions - a possible sign of endocarditis.

After he spent a day sleeping on the sofa, she booked him a primary care doctor appointment for June 23.

Doctors feared a possible heart attack and called for an ambulance.

He was rushed to Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor, where medical staff monitored him and took blood tests in the ambulance for three hours before he was admitted for MRI and CT scans and X-rays.

When he mentioned his dental problems, doctors ordered an echocardiogram, which revealed a hole in his mitral valve.

They diagnosed endocarditis - an infection affecting the heart’s inner lining - alongside life-threatening sepsis.

Danny said: “When I spoke about the toothache, it was like a eureka moment.”

Too ill to be transferred immediately to a specialist heart unit in Liverpool, he was put on a round-the-clock antibiotic drip.

He endured violent bouts of shaking as medical staff fought to stabilize him.

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Danny said: “I was having episodes that were causing strong fits of shivering as if I was freezing, but I was boiling to touch.

“My body wanted to let go, but I was fighting it.”

He later learned how close he had come to death.

Recalling a nurse’s account, he said: “On one particular evening, all of the nurses were emotional because they knew there was nothing more they could do. It was that close.”

Once stable enough, Danny was taken by critical care ambulance to Broadgreen Hospital in Liverpool, where another infection left his lungs filling with fluid.

Surgeons attempted to repair his heart valve on July 6 but had to halt the procedure when his blood failed to clot, making it too dangerous to continue.

Danny recalled waking to find his brother, surgeon and anesthesiologist at his bedside.

He said: “I thought the operation went well, but then I was told they had to abort it because my blood was not clotting.

“That’s when I thought it was impossible and I didn’t have the strength.”

With specialist equipment brought in, surgeons tried again on July 8 - this time successfully.

But Danny then discovered he had suffered multiple strokes during his illness.

He could barely walk, struggled to use his left side and feared his memory had been damaged.

He said: “I had a lot of confusion, I couldn’t remember the passwords to my phone. I really started to panic.”

At one point, he was asked the date - and told staff it was March 5, 2005.

He underwent rehabilitation back in Bangor and was finally discharged on Aug. 19.

He is now recovering at home but is still regaining his strength, with the effects of the strokes leaving him unable to do everyday things, including picking up his daughter.

Danny said his determination to get home to daughter Harriet Ann, 9, kept him going.

He said: “The envy of seeing other people being able to hold her and walk with her was terrible. I couldn’t do that.

“To this day, I still can’t pick her up because I haven’t fully got my core strength back.”

Danny praised the nurses who helped save his life.

He said: “My dentist told me that he now uses my story as an example to patients, so that they take infections seriously.”