SINCE first meeting as teenagers on the set of Willow, Warwick Davis and wife Samantha have been through dark times, including the tragic deaths of two children and a life-threatening sepsis scare.

But the bond between the Tenable star and his wife of 31 years – who he describes as his "soulmate" – has never been stronger.

This weekend he revealed how he broke down as he imagined life without Sam, 51, – with whom he shares kids Annabelle, 25, and Harrison, 19 – as she battled back from the brink of death after contracting sepsis in 2018.

Speaking exclusively to The Sun the 52-year-old recalled waiting for Sam to return from a life-saving op after she collapsed with the potentially fatal blood-poisoning.

“The next few hours were the longest of my life as I waited on the ward with our children in the empty space left by Sam’s hospital bed," he said.

“I hoped it would not symbolise a future for us without her.”

The devoted couple have different forms of dwarfism and have faced life-long health issues due to their conditions.

But the adversity they have faced together has proved the foundation for their unbreakable bond.

In a heartwarming birthday message in February, Sam highlighted their unique romance with a tribute to her “beautiful inside and out” husband.

She wrote: "You are the bravest, most caring and sensitive person I know.

"You amaze us all everyday with your courage and strength. I love you to the moon and back. Always and forever yours."

To mark her 51st birthday in January, Warwick also tweeted a tribute to his "beautiful wife".

He added: “I so admire how she faces life’s challenges with dignity, energy & courage – she’s an inspiration."

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Teen love to lifelong devotion

Warwick had already starred as Ewok Wicket in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi when he landed the lead role in Willow, opposite Val Kilmer, at just 17.

Samantha Burroughs, the 16-year-old daughter of co-star Peter Burroughs, had a role as an extra in the film and the pair fell in love, dating for four years before tying the knot in 1991.

Warwick was born with Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita (SED), an extremely rare genetic form of dwarfism, which has been inherited by both Annabelle and Harrison.

Sam has achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism, and Warwick has spoken movingly about how the combination of both conditions resulted in the deaths of two of their babies.

The first, Lloyd, was born before Annabelle but died after nine days. They also lost another son, George, when Samantha was 19 weeks pregnant and suffered two miscarriages before welcoming Annabelle and Harrison.

"Prior to Annabelle and Harrison we had a baby boy, Lloyd, who inherited both our conditions… and that is something that proves fatal," he told Bear Grylls in a 2019 TV special.

"It’s something that a baby won’t survive. But Lloyd survived for nine days, but yeah he was beautiful."

"It was a tough time. And yeah, we had a stillborn too."

While other marriages may have been rocked by the tragedy, Warwick insisted it brought him closer to his wife, adding: "That kind of stuff just makes you stronger."

Life-long health battles

Warwick, co-founder of charity Little People UK,  has often spoken out about the health battles related to his condition, as well as Sam’s.

“You look at somebody with dwarfism, the first thing that strikes you is probably that they’re short, and that’s it. But that’s the tip of the iceberg,” he told the Guardian in 2015.

“It gets worse. Could be a cleft palate, hearing loss – or you end up in a wheelchair.”

Diagnosed with SED at birth, his parents were told he would never walk and would be dead by his teens, and he endured painful operations on his legs and feet throughout his childhood.

“As you get older, it gets worse,” he said. “My hips are dislocated. Very painful knees.

“There’s a risk of retinal detachment, but I know the signs now. And then, yeah, you wake up, the alarm goes, it takes a good half hour to get moving, we’re both like, ‘Uggggh.’ Imagine the worst flu you’ve had, every day – it’s like that.”

Sam has also had numerous rounds of surgery throughout her life and it was after a routine back operation that she contracted deadly sepsis in 2018.

The infection causes the body’s immune system to go into overdrive and attack tissues and organs and, after she was rushed to hospital, the family was told she could die and Warwick told the children to say their goodbyes.

“I broke down every night thinking that this terrible illness that came out of nowhere might take my soulmate away from me,” he told The Sun.

Son Harrison has had his own share of surgery, going under the knife most recently in 2019.

Sam shared a picture of her son with an anaesthetic mask on, at Peterborough hospital, with the words: “We are so proud of Harrison having surgery on his knees and feet, he was super brave, as always.”

Surrounded by love

Both children followed their parents into acting, with Annabelle starring in the Tracy Beaker sequel The Dumping Ground and Harrison landing his first panto role in Snow White and the Seven Dwarves in January.

The close knit foursome are bound by a strong sense of family, often messaging loving tributes to each other on social media.

On their 28th anniversary, Warwick tweeted: “Happy 28th Wedding Anniversary to my bestest friend & soulmate, @SammyDDavis.

“Thank you for the fun, happiness & adventure, the warmth & love.

“My life is perfect with you & I cherish every moment. Thank you for all you do for me & the support you give. Love always & forever.”

And as they celebrated three decades of marriage Sam wrote: “Happy 30th Anniversary to my best friend, soulmate and rock Warwick. Thank you for all the fun and laughs and being you.

“You are amazing and I love you loads.”

On Harrison’s 19th birthday in March, Annabelle posted a picture of the two of them calling her brother “my best mate".

The family's health issues have served to bring them closer together and, after Sam’s brush with death, Warwick vowed to live life to the full.

“To this day Sam still feels the effects of sepsis and some PTSD from her experience. If I’m completely honest, I do too,” he said.

“We never take life for granted now, living each day as if it were our last.

"I appreciate and cherish every moment that Sam and I spend together.”

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Through sharing their stories and their charity work the inspirational couple have helped change the nation's perception of dwarfism and make a better world for their children.

And their deep love has carried them heartbreak and tragedy, making them stronger than ever.

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