Bert Newton’s scare
There are grave fears for Bert as he suffers another health crisis
An emotional Patti Newton was distraught as her TV legend husband was rushed to the emergency room of a Melbourne hospital.
In the waiting room last Wednesday, Patti, 72, gripped Bert’s hand tightly during a tense 15-minute wait before he was whisked away to be examined.
As the 78-year-old icon was being attended to by hospital medics, Patti emerged to make a series of frantic phone calls to update family and friends on the situation.
“Things are not looking good,” a close friend of the Newtons tells Woman’s Day. “Bert hasn’t been a well man for weeks, and Patti is actually pretty desperate. She’s terrified that this time he won’t make it. His breathing is so laboured and the stress of it all is affecting his heart.”
This latest dash to the ER comes after a frail Bert was hospitalised for a serious bout of pneumonia in March, one of several times he has battled the potentially deadly infection.
“Patti knows things are bad because even the TV Week
Logies last week didn’t rally him,” adds the friend.
“He’s just so tired of life, which isn’t like him. He hasn’t been out of bed for days.”
After spending seven hours by Bert’s bedside, Patti eventually emerged – alone and distressed.
The Newton family matriarch is said to be leaning heavily on daughter Lauren, 38, for support as they wait to see if Bert’s health can fully recover.
“Patti hasn’t experienced a day of adult life without Bert and she won’t cope if she has to go on without him,” says the concerned friend.
“It’s very lucky she has Lauren – she’s virtually mothering Patti and keeping her strong for Bert. He needs her more than ever.”