Ronald Keenan, 52, collapsed with severe breathing problems in the back yard of his Hartlepool home.

He was rushed into intensive care at the University Hospital of Hartlepool and placed on an £11,000 BiPAP ventilator paid for by our readers.

Our Lifeline Appeal, launched in September 2008, had a target of £15,000 which was reached within three months thanks to readers who ran, sang, cycled, and performed stage shows to raise money.

In a frank interview with the Mail, he said: "I know it sounds soppy but I remember thinking 'I am not coming out of here'.

"But that machine saved my life and I have never touched another cigarette since. All I can say is, those Mail readers who raised the money for that machine are fantastic. I can never thank them enough.

"What they have done is amazing. They have saved my life."

Dad-of-four Ronald spent three days on the ventilator as he battled against chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Eventually, his breathing began to respond to the treatment and he was put on steroids to open up his airwaves and help him breathe on his own.

That was last November and Ronald has never touched a cigarette since.
He puts his COPD problem down to his smoking habit and his lifetime of working in trades such as shot blasting and paint spraying.

"I was smoking 20 to 30 a day when it happened but there was a time up to about five years ago when I was smoking 60 a day.

"I was told any amount of times by the doctor to pack them in but I found it hard to do.

"Then out of the blue I was taken ill."

The dad-of-four remembered the day his life changed forever.

He said: "I had just had a tab and I had gone into the yard.
"I felt myself go funny and I was gasping for air.

"I panicked and that made it worse."

Ronald is no longer capable of working because he only has between 20 and 30 per cent lung capacity.

"They can't repair it," said Ronald. "I am breathless from walking to the bathroom. I get up on a morning and take the treatment I have to take for my condition, but I am out of breath by the time I get ready.

Doctors have not told Ronald what his lifespan may be.
"They told me I could have longer or carry on smoking and chuck it all away."

The BiPAP machine means many patients can be treated by having a breathing mask placed tightly on their face and it takes away the need for tubes into their lungs.

The machine cost £11,000 and the rest of the funds raised by readers is being used to pay for vital supplies in a visitors' room, such as tea, coffee and tissues.

Tess Moore, the ward matron for clinical care, said: "This machine is quite sophisticated and previously, we would have had to put patients onto invasive ventilation.

"It has been excellent in terms of its usefulness and because it helps to prevent invasive treatment."