Hello, my name is Jessica. I am a mother of three, and I gave birth to our youngest child just eight months ago. I never imagined that so soon after welcoming our baby, our family would be facing one of the most frightening and challenging moments of our lives.

My husband, Cardiff—better known as “Cardz” to our friends—was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit on January 19, 2026 following a life-threatening complication after a tonsillectomy.

Cardiff had his tonsillectomy on January 10, 2026, but soon after, he began experiencing repeated and severe bleeding episodes. Due to persistent bleeding, he was taken back to the operating room on January 16 for an emergency procedure to arrest a post-tonsillectomy bleed.

On the night of January 19, around 8:00 PM, the bleeding started again—this time far worse than before. Cardiff bled continuously for nearly an hour and lost close to 2 litres of blood. We rushed him to A&E, and during transport he became extremely weak, cold, and clammy.

Upon arrival, he was taken straight to the Resuscitation unit. I was later told his systolic blood pressure had dropped to 60, and he had lost consciousness.

After what felt like an eternity—about 10 to 15 minutes—I was allowed into Resus. Cardiff was given IV fluids, medications to control the bleeding, and a blood transfusion.

The ICU consultant explained that he urgently needed to return to theatre once again, but while waiting for surgery, the safest place for him was the ICU, where he could receive specialised, round-the-clock care. He was intubated and sedated.

Due to the high number of emergency cases, Cardiff had to wait several days before surgery. On January 22, he was finally taken to the operating room for the third time. The surgeons were able to fix the bleeding, but they also noted significant swelling in his right tonsillar bed, which posed a risk to his airway. To prevent airway compromise, he was started on dexamethasone.

Although the bleeding has now been resolved, Cardiff unfortunately developed a severe reaction to the steroid, which has required him to remain in ICU, still intubated and sedated. Multiple consultants and specialist teams are now involved in his care, and a careful plan is in place. At present, they are slowly weaning him off sedation day by day to assess his readiness for extubation. He has had two failed extubation attempts, but we remain hopeful that with the right management, time, and prayers, he will continue to improve and recover.

We are incredibly grateful to the NHS for providing Cardiff with the best possible care—care that has quite literally saved his life—without us having to bear medical expenses. However, the financial strain of day-to-day living has become overwhelming. I am currently on stress leave, and Cardiff is on sick pay, which will only continue until February 10, 2026. At this stage, it is still uncertain when he will be well enough to return to work.

We are also hoping to bring a relative over to help care for our children while Cardiff recovers and while I support him through this difficult journey.

With humility and hope, we are reaching out for help. Any contribution—no matter how small—or even sharing this page would mean the world to our family. Your kindness will help us focus on what truly matters right now: Cardiff’s recovery and keeping our family afloat during this incredibly difficult time.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

May God bless you for your generosity and compassion.

With sincere gratitude,

Jessica Dicdican

Wife of Cardiff Dicdican