A TROON man whose blood cancer had him on the ‘brink of death’ has bounced back to write an emotional song for people going through difficult times – and it is set to be released by a top US reality star.

Stuart Arnott, 55, was given just days to live in March 2019 as he battled myelofibrosis, a rare form of leukaemia.

Ayr Advertiser:

But a remarkable turnaround thanks to a stem call transplant from his daughter Gillian was enough to give him a lifeline as he came through five months in the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.

Now on the road to recovery at home he has teamed up with his cousin Drew Scott, better known as one of the Property Brothers, who is going to release the single to almost a million followers on his social media channels.

Ayr Advertiser:

Stuart was given the shock diagnosis in March 2016 that the reason for his breathlessness was far more serious that first thought.

Stuart told the Advertiser Series: “I was working long hours as an IT consultant at the time and had no idea there could be something seriously wrong with me.”

“By the time I got to meetings I was breathless, and I could barely talk. I went to the doctors and they sent me straight to Ayr Hospital.

“When the blood tests came back it was a shock. They said I had 15 years, but my glass is always half full, so I thought I’ll take that it could be worse.”

Ayr Advertiser:

But despite feeling hopeful at the start, Stuart’s condition worsened and he was told in May 2018 that he would need a life saving stem cell transplant.

His daughter Gillian, now 29, and his son Alasdair, 23, were tested as possible donors, with Gillian flagged as a 50 per cent match which Stuart says was the “last throw of the dice.”

But Stuart was not out the woods yet as he was placed in a coma after suffering a rare reaction that affects just one in 10 million people and his partner of 13 years Wendy was told to prepare for the worst.

Stuart said: “I was in a coma for three days. The specialist spoke to Wendy and my kids and told them I wouldn’t last the weekend.

“They had never seen anyone come out of that situation, but within three days I was sitting up after being so close to death.”

Stuart continued his recovery with a five month stay in hospital where he started to put pen to paper on a song after his love of music returned thanks to encouragement from his son Alasdair who brought him a keyboard.

From a sealed protective room, he started work on ‘A Stranger’ a powerful song for anyone going through extremely challenging times outwith their control.

Ayr Advertiser:

Thanks to his famous cousin in the US, Stuart’s song is currently being recorded in a professional studio in Los Angeles with plans to release it early next year to raise money for blood cancer charity The Anthony Nolan Trust.

Drew and his brother Jonathon are stars of several smash-hit TV series including Forever Home, with Michael Buble’s and Brad Pitt’s homes just some of the pads to feature in the show.

Stuart said: “I’m humbled by his support and I hope the song will be enjoyed and raise awareness and funds for a very worthwhile cause.”

The charity help search for stem cell donors, with Stuart encouraging as many people as possible to register to save a life. He has already raised £2,500 for the charity which will help them locate new donors and place them on the register. It costs £40 to process each donor.

He added: “This has all given me a lift during the most difficult of times and the song is for everyone, particularly people who have been affected by something in their life that they didn’t understand which has had huge impact on them. ‘A Stranger’ could be anything including coronavirus, MND, dementia. My Stranger was cancer.”