A pub landlord has asked couples to say I love you more often as his wife fights for her life in hospital.

Andy Cowell, who runs The Fenn Bell Inn, in Fenn Street, Hoo, says not telling his wife, Kelly, he loved her more often is his biggest regret as he watches her fight for her life in intensive care.

He said: "I have many regrets in my life but my biggest regret is I didn't tell her I love her enough because I was busy. I hope other people will read this and think about my mistake and take the chance to tell their loved ones they love them."

Andy, 53, has seen his life turned upside down in the last 12 months as his wife has suffered three strokes, and had three massive operations on her heart.

Exactly one year ago, on Good Friday, Andy said he was out in his safari truck when he got a call from Kelly.

"Her voice was slurry. I didn't know what was the matter so I rushed back to the house."

When he got there Andy found his wife collapsed with one arm paralysed and her face drooping on one side. He called an ambulance and paramedics first thought she had had a panic attack.

Andy said: "I knew she hadn't as she has had one before and it wasn't like that."

As they headed off in the ambulance, Kelly had a second stroke and was rushed to the stroke unit at St Thomas's Hospital in London.

"She came out after a few days with some pills and it was all fine," Andy said.

But three weeks later Kelly, 48, had another stroke and doctors discovered she had a faulty mitral valve in her heart. She had to undergo major open heart surgery.

But the same thing happened again three months later as the valve, which is between the left atrium and the left ventricle of the heart, became loose and Kelly was once again taken ill and ended up on the operating table.

Each time Andy says she bounced back but when the same thing happened again two weeks ago the story was slightly different.

'She is my life'

"The valve failed again and this time it caused major kidney and liver failure," Andy said. "She also suffered a blood clot."

Kelly is now on a life support machine as her body fights to repair itself. Andy said: "This is the worst it's been. We nearly lost her."

She has been unconcsious for 12 days, but Andy says she has just started to open her eyes.

"She is such a strong lady," he said. "She is as tough as they come and that will get her through this."

He said: "It's heartbreaking to see her like this. When I look at the picture I took of her 12 months ago I never excpected this to happen. She is such a strong, bubbly person. I always thought i would be the one in the bed and she would be looking over me."

The couple have been together for 33 years and have two children, Jordan, 28 and Sydney, 21.

Andy said the hardest thing in the past year has been watching his wife suffer.

"It's the unfairness of watching someone you love suffer and not being able to do a thing about it. It has made me realise that work is not the be all and end all and the ones I love are more important."

The couple have worked behind the bar together for the last nine years and Andy is hoping they will again one day.

He said: "I hope we will get that back. God willing I will be given a second chance to bring her home healthy and I know I have learnt my lesson.

Paying tribute to his adored wife he added: "I love so much. She is not just the women I've been with for 33 years, she is my wife, my best friend, the person who always keeps my feet on the floor, the mother to my children but most important my soulmate. She is my life.

"My life is not worth much without her."

Andy also wanted to thank the NHS for all their support.

"They have thrown everything at her to help her get better," he said.

Andy has still been running the pub and zoo whilst visiting his wife every day and wanted to thank his pub colleagues for all their support.

"It's been a busy Easter and they have had immense pressure on them. They have been amazing."