Gardeners' World's Monty Don saved by wife after collapsing with life-threatening illness

express.co.uk:

Gardeners' World star Monty Don was found by his wife after a terrifying collapse, and rushed to hospital where morphine was injected into his veins.The star had succumbed to a bad case of peritonitis, which can quickly prove fatal if left untreated.Monty, 52, had been filming for the TV series Around The World in 80 Gardens when he became unusually exhausted."I said to my director 'I feel really tired' and then woke up in the middle of the night feeling dreadful," he told Amateur Gardening magazine."My wife found me collapsed.

If she had not found me I would have died."I got into an ambulance at 2am and they stuck morphine into my veins."He had contracted peritonitis just before he travelled to South Africa.The father of three, who has also been open about his battle with depression, had become run down after taking on a heavy workload.He had not taken a holiday for two years at the time of his collapse.Peritonitis develops after the intestines become perforated and it can be deadly, so reacting quickly is vital.Fortunately, his wife Sarah sensed during the night that something was wrong and sought help.She has helped him through numerous other struggles too during a marriage that has lasted almost 40 years.Sarah has been at Monty's side during financial collapse, when he was on the brink of bankruptcy earlier in his career prior to his Gardeners' World success, and also during his bouts of anxiety and depression.The Gardeners' World star was left in floods of tears after his family jewellery business failed, but Sarah intervened by gently telling him: "You need to see a doctor.""She said you have to see a doctor because I can't cope with you and three small children and our life as it is," he explained to The Times in.