Thank you for saving my son’s Bacon...
TV star’s mum praises NHS
RICHARD Bacon’s mum has expressed her immense gratitude to the hospital staff who saved her desperately ill son’s life.
Distraught Christine spent days at the bedside of her TV host son, who was put in a medically induced coma suffering from suspected double pneumonia.
The ex Blue Peter presenter, 42, fell gravely ill flying from the US to the UK. He was rushed to University Hospital Lewisham, South London, but deteriorated quickly.
But 12 days later the gaunt dad of two was pictured, using a walking frame, leaving the hospital with wife Rebecca.
Christine, 67, said: “The NHS have done a great job. It was like it was meant to happen this way. He was in a coma, with loads of wires in him and we knew it was critical.”
She lives in Mansfield, Notts, with solicitor husband Paul, 70, and did not know if Richard would pull through.
She said: “We got in the car and drove to London. It was a nightmare knowing that he was being put into a coma and not knowing why. He was incredibly poorly. People have been so lovely and kind. Being a mother, you can’t imagine losing your kids. As a mother you can’t let yourself really consider that you’re going to lose him, there’s nothing worse.
“He was my first born and I love him. I thought, ‘You can’t leave us, Richard’.
“It’s going to take a while for him to be fit again, he’s been through such a lot. To wake up and know that you’ve lost five days is a lot.” Before leaving the ward, former Sunday People columnist Richard tweeted he was “cleared for take-off” and added: “I don’t know whether I see this as the bed I nearly died in or the bed that saved my life. Either way. I won’t miss it. But I will miss the 50 staff of Lewisham Hospital who definitely saved my life. Every. Single. One. Of. Them.”
He has since posted pictures of himself at home and with his kids Arthur, six, and Ivy, four.
Christine said: “It’s been awful. It’s been such a worry for all of us.”
She said it will take Richard time to fully recover.
She said: “I think he’s lost his muscle so he’ll be getting back to the gym when he’s got the strength.
“For now he’s got to rest and do as he’s told, which is difficult for Richard.”