A COUNCILLOR has revealed how the quick actions of his wife saved his life after he fell victim to life-threatening sepsis.

Councillor Brian Small (Conservative), who was leader of the opposition on East Lothian Council at the time, came perilously close to losing his life after he ‘put off’ visiting the doctor about an ongoing infection.

And he said had it not been for the quick reaction of wife Karen, who called for help, and a paramedic who diagnosed the condition immediately, he may not have survived.

He said: “Thanks to my wife it was caught in that golden two hours or I would not be here.

“She recognised it was something really serious and I cannot thank her anywhere near enough.

“The paramedic who was initially sent to the house also recognised it was sepsis right away so I am grateful to him as well.

“As a male, I was later told I only had a 50 per cent chance of survival with the form of sepsis I had suffered.”

Sepsis is a complication of an infection which can lead to multiple organ failure if not treated quickly.

Mr Small, who recently stepped down as leader of the opposition – though he is continuing as a ward councillor for Haddington and Lammermuir – spoke for the first time about the terrifying moment when his health suddenly deteriorated at his family home in Pencaitland.

And he revealed how he thought he had died after waking in an ambulance and staring at a blacked-out screen in the vehicle.

He said: “I had been speaking to my son Andrew, who is studying at the University of Oxford, on the phone and said to him I would call him back in the morning as I felt unwell.

“That is the last thing I remember before waking up in the ambulance.

“I was facing the black screen in the back of the ambulance and my first thought was that I had died.

“The paramedic told me: ‘Look Brian, you’re not well but you are in safe hands and we will get you to the hospital as soon as we can.’

“I was coming in and out of consciousness at that stage.”

Mr Small, 59, a retired business executive, was admitted to intensive care at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and spent six days in hospital as his condition was treated.

He had received antibiotics for a urine infection in June last year as he was about to go on holiday to Italy.

He recalled returning home and still not feeling 100 per cent.

But as he already had a hospital appointment booked for the following month he decided to wait until then before seeking further help.

Before that appointment arrived, Mr Small collapsed at his home as sepsis took hold in July last year.

The experience has been life-changing for the councillor, who wants to raise awareness of the condition to others and highlight the importance of seeking medical attention quickly.

He said: “I was fortunate that I did not have any serious underlying medical conditions and was able to recover.

“But it has made me re-evaluate my life and it has been physically and emotionally difficult.”

And he admitted his ill-health last year had played a role in his recent decision to step down as leader of the Conservative group in the council, while remaining an active councillor.

He said: “You have to be honest with yourself. My wife and son are the most important thing in my life and it had a significant impact on them as well as myself and it makes you go back to what is important.

“That has been my primary reason for standing down and I now look forward to continuing to be a hard-working councillor representing the people and businesses in my ward and East Lothian as best I can.

“My mistake was not going back to my doctor when we returned from holiday. It is important to raise awareness of this condition and how important it is to seek treatment of any infection and not put it off. We all need to be more aware.

“I also want to thank all the staff at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, who looked after me with so much compassion and professionalism – they are amazing in this sort of situation.”