AN ELLESMERE Port couple who both almost died after battling serious illnesses have celebrated their love by renewing their wedding vows.

Despite years of health ailments which have included severe heart attacks and significant memory loss, Eddie and Renee Potts have defied the odds and last week marked 28 years of marriage by re-taking their vows at Renee’s hospital bedside.

The couple, of Faraday Road, Ellesmere Port, who were both previously married with children, met through a postal dating service more than 30 years ago and have been inseparable ever since.

But 10 years ago Eddie, now 94, who worked at Bowater’s Paper Mill for most of his life, suffered a serious heart attack and was told he was unlikely to survive.

Determined he was going to pull through, Renee, 80, refused to believe he wouldn’t make it and stayed by his bedside willing him to live.

Weeks later, he amazed doctors by making a full recovery.

Last October he suffered a bleed on the brain but again recovered quickly with the support of his wife.

Five weeks ago it was Renee’s turn to spend time in Ellesmere Port Hospital, when she contracted a life-threatening infection that caused severe memory loss to the point where she could not speak, hold a cup or even recognise her family.

Since then Eddie has been at her bedside holding her hand, helping her to eat and drink and singing her songs.

It wasn’t until the couple renewed their wedding vows at the suggestion of Renee’s son Carl that she showed more improvement than she had for days by recognising her husband and uttering a few words.

Renee’s daughter Beverley, described it as ‘miraculous’ and thinks the couple have survived adversity because ‘they refuse to let each other go’.

“Eddie sits next to her, holding her hand and singing Irish songs to her and when he gives her a kiss; everybody just melts because they are so adorable together,” she said. “It wasn’t an official renewal, more that they repeated their vows.

“My sister Anne who lives in America was watching the whole thing via Skype and her husband, who is a senator, gave them a blessing.

“It was a very, very sentimental day.”

She added: “I genuinely believe that Eddie’s recoveries have been down to the fact he didn’t want to leave Mum here on her own.

“It truly is a wonderful love story.”