Image source, Danny Ellis Image caption, "It's a miracle that I'm still here," says Danny Ellis ByHarri EvansBBC Cymru Fyw Published 9 minutes ago What seemed like a simple case of toothache led to a rare heart condition, sepsis and doctors believing Danny Ellis had just a 1% chance of survival.

The 42-year-old from Llanrwst in Conwy county began experiencing tooth pain in April, and went to the dentist where he was given antibiotics.

But the pain kept returning and it was not until he was left with red marks on his body that he was finally rushed to hospital.

Doctors told him it was a "miracle" he was still alive after an initial heart operation failed, and he suffered a series of strokes - but he pulled through against the odds.

The recovery process will continue for at least another 12 months, Danny said, and he will likely be on medication for the rest of his life, but little milestones are getting him through.

"At the moment, I'm able to take my daughter to school, and that's enough for now," he said.

"I still feel different on my left side, and I can easily get tired and forget what I'm supposed to say at times, but I hope that will improve with time." Image source, Danny Ellis Image caption, Danny says the support of his wife Ceri and his daughter Harriet has got him through Danny said after the toothache got worse, an X-ray at his dentist in Colwyn Bay showed no signs of infection, and he returned home with another course of antibiotics.

A pattern which saw the pain ease and return continued for several weeks and Danny noticed he was losing his strength and red marks were appearing on his body.

"The pain was terrible and I had to take a week off work, something I would never do," said Danny, who runs the Spar shop in Betws-y-Coed, as well as Gwalia bakery in Pwllheli, Gwynedd.

"The symptoms were starting to get worse, and the pain too, especially in my legs.

I didn't know what was going on." By Father's Day on 21 June, Danny was feeling "out of it" and was "unable to remember what I'd received as presents".

When his wife Ceri arrived home from work, she found him lying on the couch with bruises on his body.

Image source, Danny Ellis Image caption, Danny credits his wife, Ceri, with saving his life They went to the GP surgery in Betws-y-Coed on 23 June and, after several tests, Danny was rushed by ambulance to Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor.

"I remember seeing the nurse run out of the room to call for an ambulance," Danny said.

When he told doctors at the hospital that he had a toothache and had been on antibiotics, their "face immediately changed" and they ordered an echocardiogram, external, which scans the heart.

The scan found a hole in the mitral valve in Danny's heart, and it was also discovered he had developed sepsis, external and there was fluid in his lungs.

"The marks on my hands had turned from red to black – the sepsis was killing me," he said.

"The doctor said at the time that I was lucky to be alive but I was fighting for life." Danny said he was diagnosed with endocarditis, external, a rare inflammation of the inner lining of the heart which is usually caused by an infection.

According to the NHS website, endocarditis usually happens when bacteria or fungus gets into the blood through the mouth or skin and travels to the heart - which was why Danny's pain initially appeared to be a toothache.

It says the most common symptoms are a high temperature, headache, feeling very tired, joint or muscle pain, night sweats, feeling breathless, loss of appetite, or losing weight without trying.

Sepsis is a serious, life-threatening reaction to an infection, external and can develop very quickly.

Image source, Danny Ellis Image caption, "The marks on my hands had turned from red to black – the sepsis was killing me," says Danny "They wanted to transfer me to Broadgreen Hospital in Liverpool but I wouldn't have survived the journey," said Danny.

He had to stay in hospital in Bangor until he was "strong enough" to make the trip, and underwent heart surgery in Liverpool on 6 July, which lasted six hours.

"My brother told me after that the operation was unsuccessful," he said.

"That was the first time the situation hit me on an emotional level and I felt really sad.

I told my brother that I was tired of the whole thing, tired of fighting." But, within a couple of days, a doctor told Danny that they had been given a special machine to help his blood clot properly, and they wanted to try the operation again.

It was successful the second time, with the infection cleared and the hole in the mitral valve closed.

After the operation, Danny was told he had suffered a series of strokes while in and out of consciousness.

"When the doctor was reading his notes afterwards, he said it was a miracle that I was still alive," said Danny, adding he had been told "the probability of survival was 1%".

Danny was transferred back to Ysbyty Gwynedd to begin his recovery.

"I couldn't walk at first, I didn't have the strength to do anything," he said.

"I had lost my independence." But Danny said he saw progress after a couple of weeks, adding: "I walked with my daughter, Harriet, for the first time in months and that was very emotional.

"My family were a big part of my recovery and a big help as I fought through the whole thing.

That's what got me through." Image source, Danny Ellis Image caption, Danny says walking with his daughter for the first time after his surgery was "very emotional" Danny was released from hospital on 19 August and says one of the first things he did was visit his dentist "because I knew he was very emotional about the situation".

"It wasn't his fault at all, my case and how it developed was something so rare," he said.

"I look after my teeth, clean them twice a day, so there's nothing I could have done differently.

It's still a mystery to tell the truth.

"I had the worst possible scenario in my experience.

Anyone can have toothache but, when endocarditis is part of it, that's when things change." Danny said he was "extremely grateful" for all the support he had received in recent months.

"All the staff at Liverpool, Bangor – they've been amazing," he said.

"I'm meeting the surgeon from Broadgreen in Liverpool for the first time since the operation – that will be very emotional." He added: "But Ceri made the first call, she was worried at first.

If I had waited for another day or two, the story would have been very different.