A HOLIDAY maker whose pancreas burst while on holiday in Cuba is continuing to recover in hospital.

Keith Rochester, 41, from Houghton-le-Spring. was put on a life support system last week after becoming ill while on holiday with his wife, Sharon.

It has been particularly hard for relatives as his brother, Christopher Rochester, of Chester-le-Street, died after falling from a balcony on the Greek Island of Rhodes in 2000 aged 24.

Doctors initially thought Keith Rochester had appendicitis but when they operated, they found his pancreas had burst, leaking fluid around his internal organs.

His younger sister Liz, 23, has flown out to be at his bedside and today (Sunday, January 17) Sharon updated family and friends on Facebook to say he was making progress.

She said: “The doctor updated that today they are leaving him to rest without any treatment to his abdomen and they are keeping him on the ventilator.

“I agreed that this is good as the longer he rests the stronger he will become in body and mind.

“Both myself and Liz felt very comforted as he opened his eyes again and was moving his arms and legs when we were talking to him.”

Mrs Rochester said doctors told her it was important he was kept calm and have given him more medication to sedate him.

She said: “The doctors said the other day that it takes a lot to keep him sedated and I told him that, yes, he loves to party and has an amazing excitable personality, so I was not surprised.

“I keep telling Keith that he is in hospital still in Cuba and letting him know how long he has been in hospital and that Liz and I are going nowhere until he is well enough to come home.”