Tyler James Williams almost died after undergoing surgery to remove part of his intestines as he battled Crohn’s disease.
The 30-year-old 'Abbott Elementary' star was diagnosed with the inflammatory bowel condition when he was in his 20s and he needed to undergo emergency surgery to remove six inches of his lower intestine because the disease had been left untreated for so long.
In an interview with Men’s Health magazine, Tyler explained he had been pushing himself hard at the gym when he suddenly fell very ill: "I was really pushing my body to the limit. By the time December hit, it just crashed. Everything shut down."
His doctor diagnosed him with Crohn’s disease and sent him for surgery. However, the operation was not successful as his intestine failed to heal properly and he was rushed back to hospital suffering from septic shock - and the actor was convinced he was going to die.
He said of the scary experience: "The last thought I had was, ‘This could be it. If this is it, I’m not happy. I worked a lot. I did a lot of things. I didn’t enjoy any of this. This can’t be it'."
Tyler had to undergo further surgery and spent months being fed intravenously which left him underweight and unable to stand or walk.
He went on to bounce back and the incurable condition prompted him to drastically change his lifestyle. Tyler added: "I had to learn how to stop making a dramatic change happen really quickly and learn how to have a better relationship with my body. "The important thing for me, and those like me, to remember is that longevity is a big part of the game. If you can’t [stay strong] and be healthy, there really is no point."
