Plumber Mick Simpson missed his 50th birthday because of a 16-month stay in hospital, undergoing three major brain operations.

So his family organised a special late birthday party to celebrate his survival.

Mr Simpson suffered an aneurysm -- a swelling of a blood vessel, caused by disease or weakening of the vessel's walls -- in his brain. It burst when he was 49.

He went through three major operations with stays in the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, Wallingford Community Hospital and the Oxford Enablement Centre. He also suffered a massive stroke.

He is now living in the Cheshire Home at Burcot, near Dorchester.

His wife Anita, a dentist's receptionist in Wallingford, said: "We have come through a lot in the past year, with Mick being struck down.

"He's lucky to be alive. He cannot live at home any more, but we wanted to make sure he could celebrate his birthday and the tremendous strides he has made and this party was a way to do it."

Mrs Simpson, of Rowland Close, Wallingford, and her daughter Tamsin, 22, organised the event for family and friends at Benson youth hall on Saturday.

Mrs Simpson praised his treatment and called the Enablement Centre "a magical place".

She said: "Mick's illness has changed our lives but he is lucky to be alive so we do have something to celebrate."