A "WALKING miracle" who suffered a brain tumour, stroke and a disease which caused his internal organs to shut down has made such a remarkable recovery that his wife has been able to return to the job she loves.
Steven Waite, 57, of Coral Drive, Waltham, suffered a stroke – caused by an undiagnosed brain tumour – on October 6, 2009.
His wife Michele, 54 – a successful beauty therapist – said: "I noticed the change overnight because he was slurring his words and his behaviour changed.
"He was admitted to hospital a few days after the stroke and he went through a lot of scans and they told us that he had a large brain tumour.
"When the consultant told me I was devastated. I felt that we didn't deserve it and after this everything went very quickly."
The day after Steven was taken ill Michele's mother, Ann Bennett, 75, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She has since made a full recovery.
On October 14, Steven was taken to Hull to undergo an eight-hour operation to remove the tumour.
She said: "They told me that he could die and I really didn't expect to hear this, because you go to hospital to get better.
"In the space of a week Steven went from being healthy and walking around to being on the brink of death."
Following the operation, Steven was put into an induced coma and placed on life support, where he was to remain for the next three weeks.
Then, in the middle of December, the family was struck another blow, when Steven had an adverse reaction to his medication and developed Stephen Johnson syndrome, which caused his internal organs to start to shut down.
His reaction was so severe, doctors told Michele to prepare for the worst.
She said: "The doctors said that it was one of the most severe cases they had seen and they told me he would die a few days before Christmas."
The couple's children Clive, 30, and Grace, 24, rushed to his bedside.
Michele said: "We clung to the hope that it would be swift if he had to die.
"On Christmas Eve we arrived at the hospital and his bed was curtained off and everyone was avoiding our eyes and we thought 'this is it'.
"The doctor came out and asked to speak to me and he said it was good news – Steven's body was starting to respond to the treatment, which was amazing.
"I asked if he was going to die and they simply said 'no'.
"There were buckets of tears from me, my mum and my kids. It was the best Christmas present there could be, we sat around his bed for two days crying and laughing."
The emotional toll of Steven's illness meant that Michele could no longer run her business from rooms she rented from a salon, in Wellowgate Grimsby, but she did continue to see as many clients as she could from home.
However, Steven continued to shock doctors with his remarkable recovery and the following February, he was transferred to Goole and District Hospital rehabilitation centre.
He was there until August 2010 when he was allowed to go home.
Mrs Waite said: "He wasn't walking or talking and had lost his short-term memory.
"It was a happy moment having him home, but incredibly hard. I had to help him do everything, including washing him, feeding him and going to the toilet – and this was on top of running a business.
"However, he has shown incredible improvement and his GP said he is a walking miracle.
"He has been able to go swimming, shooting and horse riding and he can walk now his muscles have built up.
"He has changed and our relationship is now like a brother and sister, but I still love him to bits."
The improvement in his condition and the support of carers has now meant that she has been able to rent her own salon-space in Smarty's hair salon, in Sandringham Road, Cleethorpes, where she is looking forward to welcoming clients old and new.
She said: "I want to thank the clients for sticking with me through everything and the business is going very well.
"I now have a stable life and a rosy future, which I never thought would be possible.
"None of this would have been possible without my children, my mum, Foresight, Dial-a-Ride, Trudy Taylor, the hospitals and all our friends. Thank you."
