SPF charity lead spent 81 days in hospital after brain abscess scare

Martin Blondel is well known in St Helens and across the rugby league community for his tireless work for the Steve Prescott Foundation (SPF) and his friendship with Steve, who died in 2013.

Martin was taken ill after the Pride of St Helens Awards, which celebrates the achievements and courage of those across the town. 2023's event was once again organised by the SPF and the Star.

This year while setting up for the event at Saints' Totally Wicked Stadium on November 24, Martin had a migraine and swelling, which became so bad that it completely closed his left eye.

Martin with Claire Simmon and Koby Prescott at the Pride of St Helens Awards (Image: Martin Blondel)

The day after the event, after feeling ill in the days prior to the event and on and off with his sinuses for two years, he was admitted into hospital to have emergency brain surgery.

Once there the staff fought to stabilise Martin for four hours and scans revealed five individual abscesses on his brain.

The biggest of these was pressing on the left front of his brain and onto his optic nerve, causing his eyelid to swell and fully close over.

Speaking to the Star previously he said: “Once they stabilised me, they told me that I could not have come closer to not being here.

“After that, I went in for a six-hour surgery to treat the brain abscesses and then I had to spend 12 days in isolation in ICU at The Walton Centre as I also had Covid, which I didn’t know, and they had to keep me apart from everyone else.”

Martin then spent 81 days in The Walton Centre having extensive antibiotic treatment to reduce and rid himself of the abscesses, and despite admittance initially on November 25 he did not leave hospital fully again until February 14.

He said: “The care I received by the NHS doctors and nurses undoubtably saved my life.

“I am someone with the job that I have and knowing Steve and others have been aware of the incredible work that the NHS do, however when it is you, you have a newfound appreciation for their care.

“For 81 days they cared for me, they became friends, they supported me as I was initially told I could leave before Christmas then I couldn’t due to the abscesses, then it was January 6 then January 20 then February 12 and ultimately my levels were only OK for me to leave on February 14.

“I have never in my life been so happy for Karen [Martin’s wife] to pick me up.

“Now the abscesses haven’t gone but the treatment is helping reduce them, I’m on regular monitoring and MRIs until ultimately, they disappear.

“I feel really good considering what happened and will find a way somehow to give back to them in the future. Our NHS is amazing.

“Thanks to Team Chocolate Orange who helped in a small way give the staff a Christmas gesture and let me help with that, but I hope to do even more for them in the future as well.”

Martin will be returning to work for his first official engagement on Sunday, March 3 for the 14th annual St Helens 10k, an event founded by Steve Prescott, and one that Martin leads the organisation of each year.

Martin after his surgery (Image: Martin Blondel)

The 54-year-old added: “It’s been hard taking a step back from things and the amazing members of the SPF family have stepped up and made it happen.

“This has all shown me that I have to step back a bit so I will still be there, but not from 5am as usual setting up. I’ll be there for the start and I know it will be emotional.

“The 10k is more than just an event, it meant so much to Steve to encourage the health and wellbeing of the St Helens and wider community and it means so much to Linzi, the boys [Steve’s wife and sons Taylor and Koby] as well as the SPF and town.

“I’m going to shed a tear I imagine as somehow I’m OK to be here for it and it means so much.”