A MUM who married her childhood pal 34 years after they first met is lucky to be alive following a deadly brain aneurysm which burst four months after the wedding.
Sue Campbell-Barr, from Kelvedon, Essex, was stunned when Gordon, 51, popped the question on Boxing Day in 2015 after five months of dating.
Thankfully she said yes – as Gordon, a police sergeant, had already planned the entire day for August 19, 2016.
But the following December, just four months after their wedding, Sue, 50, collapsed at work in London after an artery burst in her brain.
Sue underwent emergency surgery which saved her life, however she was left with no vision in her right eye and partial vision in her left.
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She is now making a gradual recovery, while Gordon is raising money for King's College Hospital's Critical Care Centre in south London, where Sue was treated, to "thank them for saving his soulmate".
Sue, a sales manager, and Gordon met as teenagers and became good friends, but lost touch after leaving school.
In August 2015 they bumped into each other at a friend's barbecue.
Both had previously been married and had two children.
Shortly afterwards they began seeing each other, and before long Gordon had moved into Sue's home with her two girls.
She recalled: "I don't remember there being any spark of attraction between us when we were young, but now we'd been reunited, I knew that I'd met my soulmate."
Gordon added: "When I saw Sue at the barbecue I knew straight away that she was the girl I was going to marry."
On Boxing Day the couple were at home when Gordon handed her a scroll.
It read: "Sue, will you marry me on August 19, 2016 at 2.30pm?"
It turned out Gordon was a huge fan of TV show Don't Tell The Bride and had already organised the entire wedding, even down to booking a celebrant to conduct the ceremony.
He went on to arrange every detail of their big day, except for choosing Sue's and the bridesmaids' dresses.
Sue admitted: "If it had been left up to me, I'd have gone for a small, quiet wedding. But Gordon was having none of that!
"Our big day included a helicopter to take both of us to the venue and wedding rings inscribed with each other's thumbprints.
"In the end I was so glad that he had done his very own Don't Tell The Bride thing, because the two of us had the most amazing day."
But four months later, Sue was in London for work on December 16 when she collapsed.
She recalled: "I don't remember anything after that, but now I know that I was rushed to King’s College Hospital and admitted to its Critical Care Centre, where I stayed for three weeks until I was discharged on January 11, 2017.
"It turned out that I'd had a burst artery in my brain. I needed emergency surgery.
"When I woke from the anaesthetic, doctors told me I'd probably had a weak artery in my brain since birth, and it could have burst at any time.
"Thankfully, I made a good recovery – many people who suffer a brain aneurysm are not so lucky."
What is a brain aneurysm?
A brain aneurysm occurs when there is a bulge in a weakened blood vessel.
Usually, brain aneurysms only cause noticeable symptoms if they burst – this then leads to serious issues and is known as a subarachnoid haemorrhage (or brain haemorrhage).
If the aneurysm ruptures, bleeding can cause extensive brain damage – with three in five people dying within two weeks of suffering this.
According the NHS, signs of a brain haemorrhage include a sudden excruciating headache (similar to a sudden “bang” on the head), a stiff neck, sickness and vomiting and pain when looking at light.
Unruptured brain aneurysms can occasionally cause symptoms too, including loss of vision, headaches, pain above or around the eye and weakness or numbness on one side of the face.
While brain aneurysms can develop in anyone at any age, they are more common in people over the age of 40 and women tend to be affected more than men.
The best way to reduce the risk of an aneurysm developing and possibly bursting is to avoid activities that could damage blood vessels, such as a diet high in fat, being obese or not controlling blood pressure.
If you suspect someone has had a brain haemorrhage, which could be caused by a ruptured aneurysm, you should call 999 immediately and ask for an ambulance.
Gordon said: "When I arrived at the hospital I was informed that my wife had had a massive bleed on the brain and that it didn’t look good for her survival.
"My whole world suddenly fell to bits.
"Seeing Sue lying in her hospital bed, my heart broke inside my chest and I didn’t want to leave her side.
"For the next three weeks I slept on chairs in the waiting room, stayed at a local hotel or commuted from home in Essex."
After a second round of surgery, it's hoped Sue will recover some sight in her right eye.
Gordon told how the one-on-one care his wife received blew his mind, and when he found out how much her treatment had cost the NHS he was determined to pay them back.
He organised a host of fundraising events, including letting Sue's daughter Millie, 11, shave his head during assembly at her primary school, which raised £104.
His total currently sits at £2,611 – 25 per cent short of his target.
In the summer he plans to take part in a skydive – even though he's terrified of heights.
Gordon said: "Sue will need a lot of care, and it will take time, but I know that she will eventually get back to her old self.
"Thankfully she survived, and that was all down to the amazing critical care staff and equipment."
To donate to Gordon's cause, visit his Just Giving page.
Earlier this month we told how a Brit mum, 48, died after suddenly collapsing with a brain aneurysm in Benidorm with her husband and two kids at her bedside.
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