For James and Caron Robinson, it was a November morning like any other.

But at around 11am Mr Robinson began feeling unwell, and suddenly suffered the first of many life-threatening seizures, each lasting up to five minutes.

Nine days later he woke up in Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, unable to move, speak, or remember.

All he could do was blink.

'It felt like I was locked in my body for 20 years,' he said. 'I would spend hours trying to lift myself up a few inches, and then my family or doctors would push me back down again to make me rest.'

Unbeknown to Mr Robinson, a brain tumour had gradually developed, which sparked a series of eight seizures while he was at his Norwich home, on Mount Pleasant, with his wife.

He was later told by doctors that two seizures alone could have killed him.

'When I woke up I couldn't remember which names belonged to which of my children,' the father-of-three said.

But his recovery has been encouraging and in February he had 80pc of the tumour removed. The remaining 20pc will be treated through radiotherapy.

'It's been overwhelming,' the 38-year-old said.

'Doctors were treating me, and then they will have gone to the next room and treated someone who probably only had hours left to live.'

His friend of more than 20 years, Andy Brown, has decided to raise funds for Addenbrooke's by taking part in a boxing match for charity.

Mr Brown, who has never boxed before, will embark on an intensive 14-week training programme in preparation for the event, to be held at Open in July.

'I want to raise funds for Addenbrooke's Charitable Trust to thank them for giving our friend back to us,' he said.

To donate to the cause email andybrown_791@hotmail.co.uk

Have you got a health story? Email nicholas.carding@archant.co.uk