UNIVERSITY of Bolton graduate Zoe Stephens is donating the royalties of her first novel to the hospital — which helped her after she was struck down with a virus which nearly killed her.

Miss Stephens, aged 31, the author of Fingerprints of the Heart, said she never intended to write a book but after getting a sudden wave of inspiration, she put pen to paper and discovered it was some of her best writing.

Now all the royalties will go to the acute neurology unit at Salford Royal Hospital which treated her after she contracted a rare virus — Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis — in 2008.

The mum-of one, who lives in Horwich, said: "The virus very nearly killed me and saw me spend months in the neurology wards at Salford Royal Infirmary.

"The staff were amazing — they gave me dignity and helped me learn everything all over again — how to eat, drink, dress, bathe, everything.

"People often don't realise just how much all the staff on these wards actually do.

"I certainly didn't until then so I'm donating all my royalties to the Acute Neurology Unit at Salford Royal Infirmary as a very small token of my appreciation for everything they did for me."

Miss Stephens, who won the Governor's Award at the University of Bolton, added: "I never actually intended to write a book.

"I always said there wasn't a book in me but I was in my living room one day which has windows on two sides of the room and is always quite dark and, all of a sudden, I started to think of a goldfish tank and how it would be amazing to be able to swim up to the top for a while.

"I suppose the fact my living room overlooks a car park may have something to do with it as there isn't much privacy —and then I started thinking 'what if my main character swims up through a puddle?'.

"So I just started writing until I really couldn't do anymore. From there, it just seemed to take off."

The book, which took Miss Stephens just three and half weeks to write, tells the tale of an elderly lady Cass.

She is old, frail and alone in a hospital. Her only visitors are the staff who treat her until, one day, she wakes to find herself in another world — an 'in-between' place where she must make a decision — heaven or earth, life or death.

Jumping between past and present, Cass meets with people she has known and loved.

Miss Stephens said: "It is amazing to read the good reviews. People who I know have bought the book say they can't put it down."

Soon after contacting publishing houses, she received a phone call from New Generation Publishing, and now she is working on 'Letters to Jack' the second in the planned trilogy.

The book is available online at Waterstones, Blackwells and Amazon, for £6.99, published by New Generation Publishing.