Man Had No Symptoms Suggesting His Cracked Tooth Was Infected. He Was Then Diagnosed with a Life-Threatening Brain Abscess

A British man is sharing his story after a seemingly minor dental issue led to a life-threatening brain abscess.

Graham Bell, 61, from Wirral in northwest England, had been planning a day trip to Wales with his wife Sue when he began suffering from severe headaches. Sue noticed something was wrong—Graham’s face had visibly drooped on one side, according to a news release from The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, the Liverpool hospital where he was treated.

Although doctors initially ruled out a stroke, further investigation revealed a serious issue. “A mass in [his] brain was discovered,” and Graham underwent emergency brain surgery shortly after. The hospital later confirmed via email to PEOPLE that the operation took place in mid-March.

“It was a lot of information to take in a short time,” Graham recalled in the release. “I had the family around me, but I think we were all in a bit of shock. I was not well, so finding out what was going on quickly was key for all of us.”

Sue described how rapidly Graham’s condition declined. “By this point Graham had deteriorated greatly,” she said. “The ambulance brought us to The Walton Centre, and once there I knew it was serious. Graham was prepped for surgery right away. The team was so professional, but it was obvious that speed was of the essence.”

Doctors discovered a 3-centimeter abscess in Graham’s brain during the emergency procedure. The first operation to drain the abscess was successful, and Graham began to show signs of improvement. However, complications arose when he developed sepsis a few days later.

As explained by the Cleveland Clinic, sepsis is “a dangerous reaction to an infection” that causes widespread inflammation and can lead to organ failure or death. “The quicker you receive treatment, the better your outcome will be,” the site notes.

Graham was rushed back into surgery for a second drainage procedure and received high doses of antibiotics to fight the infection. “My clinical team worked to understand what was going on, and found that the infection had actually come from an infection in a cracked tooth I had,” he said. “It was bizarre because I had no pain or swelling in my mouth to tell me there was something wrong.”

After spending six weeks in the hospital recovering, Graham is still facing challenges. “He still has issues with communicating and moving around,” Sue explained. “But we’re following the therapy and on our way to getting back to as close to normal as possible.”

His most recent medical review in July was encouraging, she added, expressing gratitude for the care he received. “The hospital saved his life. For that, there is nothing we can do to thank them enough.”

In an effort to give back, their children, Rob and Aimee, raised over $4,200 through a sponsored walk in support of The Walton Centre Charity.