TV legend Bert’s confession: ‘I’m lucky to be alive’
Bert’s heartbreaking confession
Bert and Patti Newton have given an emotional insight into the TV legend’s recovery from his life-threatening quadruple bypass heart surgery, revealing how ‘every morning is a bonus’.
Speaking of the 2012 operation, Australia’s favourite showbiz couple have told how Bert had just a 50 per cent chance of making it through the procedure alive. They also spoke about how two potentially fatal bouts of pneumonia since the operation have left Bert thankful for each and every day.
‘When he had his quadruple bypass, they said it was a 50/50 chance,’ Patti told the Herald Sun last week. ‘[Granddaughter] Lola had just been born and all of the rest of the years are bonuses, really.’
Bert went on to say that he reads the death announcements in the newspaper every day, thankful his name is not there.
‘I had a bad run for a while health-wise, but now I am pretty good,’ he says. ‘Since [the surgery] I have had a couple of bouts of pneumonia.
‘Every morning when I wake up, I read the death columns in the paper, and if I am not there we get up and away we go again.
‘I think you have to go through it to realise that [with] we mortals, it is a fine line and I am grateful.’
The 79-year-old grandfather-of-four went on to credit his loving wife of 43 years, Patti, for nursing him back to health.
‘I feel good. Every morning is a bonus,’ he says. ‘I am on a leash, sort of. Patti takes extra special care of what I do and particularly what I don’t do.’
Bert’s good health coincides with the recent wedding of their son, Matthew, to his American fiancee Catherine Schneiderman. It’s believed the pair tied the knot in August, with Matthew being spotted wearing a wedding band a few days later.
Patti has said Matthew was the happiest he’d ever been – a stark contrast to the pain he’d caused his showbiz icon parents over the years, with
The TV star reveals his brush with death after life-threatening heart surgery – and says his amazing recovery is all down to wife Patti ‘I am on a leash, sort of. Patti takes extra special care of what I do and particularly what I don’t do’
several domestic violence and addiction scandals.
‘He is in a very good place,’ 72-year-old Patti told 3AW’S Nightline program recently.
‘I have never known Matthew to be happier, and we are happy that he is happy.
‘I don’t care what anyone says, if he is happy we are happy, and he is in a very good place, so what more could you want?’
The proud mum also took to Instagram to proudly gush about her 40-year-old son’s recent film, revealing: ‘ Who We Are Now written and directed by Matthew is getting rave reviews at the Toronto film festival. So thrilled for him.’
Bert’s health troubles started in November 2012 when he was admitted to hospital with chest pains. Just days later, he was preparing for six hours of quadruple bypass heart surgery, which Patti admitted had left them all very shaken.
‘He always puts on a brave front, but this has... hit him a bit,’ she told Channel Nine at the time of the surgery.
Patti went on to explain how seeing the TV veteran – who has been her husband since their loving union in 1974 – so ill after the gruelling operation had been very difficult for her.
‘I kissed him on the forehead and will leave him be,’ she told news crews at the time.
‘I just went in and saw him for a second and he is not a pretty sight at the moment, but hopefully that will get better.
‘[He has] tubes everywhere, but that is how, I suppose, you get a heart working again.’
She went on to add: ‘I’m a bit fragile today.
‘We’ve been together more than I’ve been without him.’