YOUNG Josie Minter was told by doctors she must have a pain threshold of steel after suffering an agonising burst appendix which nearly claimed her life.

YOUNG Josie Minter was told by doctors she must have a pain threshold of steel after suffering an agonising burst appendix which nearly claimed her life.

Josie and her family had thought she was suffering a tummy upset until her condition suddenly and dramatically deteriorated - leaving doctors with a fight on their hands to save her.

An expected hour-long operation became four hours as they had to remove her organs to clean them and flush out her stomach, and then there was a critical 48-hour wait to see if her kidneys failed.

“I thought I had lost her - it really was a parent's worst nightmare,” said Josie's mum, Lisa Minter.

“When the doctor came down to see us after the operation he said she must have had the pain threshold of steel - she should have been screaming the place down or been absolutely unconscious with the mess in her stomach.

“When they flushed it all out there was so many abscesses and awful stuff.

“The doctor said none of them could believe what she must have gone through and none of them had seen a mess like it inside someone's abdomen.”

Now two special fundraising events are being planned to say thank you to Bergholt Ward at Ipswich Hospital - with the aim to raise more than £1,000 for equipment.

Lisa sings with a seven-piece band called Nightbirds and hopes the events will sell out.

The drama began two weeks before last Christmas when Josie - who is 13 next week - was poorly with what her family assumed was a tummy bug.

It seemed to get better but then flared up again.

They made a doctor's appointment the next morning but by the time she reached the surgery she was much worse and was immediately sent to Ipswich and whisked into theatre.

Josie - who lives with her mum and dad Rob in Surrey Road, Felixstowe, and has sisters Lucy, 21, Holly, 18, and Emily, 15 - was in hospital two weeks, discharged on Christmas Eve. It was still months before she was fully recovered.

“One thing which struck me was how hard everybody works - everyone from the support staff to the nurses and doctors. It was astounding,” said Mrs Minter.

“I just want to give something back and say thank you. Nothing will ever be enough to say thank you but at least this is something I can do.”

The first evening called Soul Revival is on October 1 at 7.30pm at Felixstowe Beach Caravan Park when the Nightbirds will entertain with disco and soul dance music mainly from the 70s and 80s plus a disco. Tickets are £5, available from Mrs Minter on 01394 282925 or Rob Aldred on 01394 273265.

The second event will be a Valentine's Ball at the Elizabeth Orwell Hotel on February 11.

THE Minters are also backing the campaign to keep Felixstowe General Hospital.

“It's so important to the community - we have used it over the years for all our daughters for one thing or another,” said Lisa Minter.

“It is reassuring having it there, knowing there is someone on hand quickly to see you and sort out problems, all those knocks and cuts and bruises and little worries where you could spend hours waiting in casualty.

“We must not lose it.”