Richard Bacon ‘in coma with a mystery sickness’
FORMER Blue Peter presenter Richard Bacon is fighting for his life in a coma after being struck down by a mystery virus.
The 42-year-old radio host is in a critical condition after failing to respond to treatment for suspected pneumonia.
He was stretchered off a flight from the US last week with doctors initially fearing he had contracted the lung condition, the Sun reported.
A source close to Bacon said it was ‘an extremely worrying time for everyone who loves him’. They told the Sun: ‘Doctors started treating him for pneumonia but it soon became apparent that it wasn’t working and his condition took a dramatic turn for the worse.
‘They had no choice but to put him into a medically-induced coma to save his life because things spiralled so fast, but that was a week ago and they are no closer to finding out what is wrong with him or how to help him.’
‘It’s touch and go, and extremely upsetting for everyone who loves him. They are beside themselves with worry.’ Last Thursday, the father of two revealed he was suffering with pneumonia, sharing a photograph on Twitter
‘Extremely worrying for everyone who loves him’
from his hospital bed revealing he had being diagnosed with ‘pneumonia across both lungs’. He was seen with nine wires strapped to his chest as he lay in bed at Lewisham Hospital in south-east London in the snap. The TV personality confessed he thought the lung disorder was something people contracted in their 80s.
He said: ‘Looks like I’ve got pneumonia. Although I thought that was for people in their 80s.’ He even joked that he was glad he fell ill in the UK, tweeting: ‘Thank God I got ill in Britain (actually on the way to Britain, was taken off the plane in a wheelchair).
‘F*** all the ideology-driven politicians who’ve messed up America’s healthcare system. Viva the NHS. Happy 70th.’
He also joked on Instagram: ‘It’s the NHS’s 70th birthday today. I hate to miss a party.’
Bacon, who was infamously dismissed from Blue Peter after getting caught using cocaine, has openly discussed his mental health issues in the past. A few months ago he posted about difficulties due to ADHD, tweeting: ‘Mental health problems are usually not something you can physically see, so you might assume that ADHD is purely psychological, not something which shows up on a scan. But the type I have can actually be seen.’ He continued: ‘In many ways I like having ADHD. I have an impulsiveness and a love of life – every day I wake up and feel like I’m about to have the best day of my life.’