Irish broadcaster Tom Dunne appeared on The Late Late Show on Friday night where he spoke about recently undergoing open heart surgery that saved his life.
The radio star and Something Happens frontman was told at a routine heart check-up late last year that he urgently needed heart surgery.
The father of two discovered he had a heart murmur ten years ago and knew he had condition called a bicuspid valve and was aware that he would need surgery "at some point" in the future.
Having missed check-ups for the past two years, as he was "having such a good time in my life and felt great", his wife Audrey convinced him to go. Immediately, Dunne knew something was wrong as his cardiologist "wasn't his usual jovial self" and recommended he meet a surgeon.
When he met the surgeon the next week, Dunne was told he needed surgery "within the next four to six weeks" and that he had "a 70% chance of dying in the next two years".
Speaking to Ryan Tubridy, he said: "Then he had my attention. Holy God. I really felt 'Is this me you’re talking about?'"
"That was the first real inkling I got that this wasn’t good."
The broadcaster described how shocked he was at the news as he had "no symptoms, no shortness of breath, no chest pains".
When he got chest pains the following weekend, Dunne said he thought to himself, "You've blown in. You've let something creep up on you. I’m going to die from stupidity."
Dunne went into surgery in mid-November and his kidneys failed during the operation. He was out for six days following the surgery and spent another ten days in hospital.
He described catching sight of his body for the first time after the invasive surgery.
"That's when I saw the wounds on my neck, from the dialysis, and the scars, and I was looking and thinking ‘Is this my body?'"
"And then I was thinking, 'You’ve been in the wars'.
"That was when I got slightly more contemplative. I felt I’d come very close [to death]. I just thought how easy it had been. I had been in the fullness of health and there was a period where it was risky.
"That was very frightening. I felt bullet proof at that point, I never thought about mortality and suddenly I could see it."
Dunne said he doesn't like to see the scar on his chest.
"It's very hard to equate such a scar with my body. It looks like it’s been hit by a bus. It’s a real reminder of your mortality, and that there was something wrong with you. And that's scary."
The broadcaster, who has two daughters aged 10 and 12 with his wife Audrey, says he "feels great" now.
"I actually really love my life, I love my family, music, the band, interviewing people on the radio, playing music. I really savour the moment now."
He says he feels like he's got "a second chance" now.
"I feel like, bring it on."
Viewers took to Twitter to wish him all the best.
@tomhappens you are a legend plus a national treasure and it's great to see you back in good health. 👏
— Rob Cross 🇮🇪 🇪🇺 (@RobCross247) January 25, 2019
p.s. happy anniversary.#latelate pic.twitter.com/dKWVArsPNh
Such a pleasure to see @tomhappens on the #LateLate, my favourite voice on radio, so honest about the illness and recovery, wishing you and your family all the very best.
— CarrieD (@CarrieDavy) January 25, 2019
So good to see Tom Dunne on the Late Late tonight, delighted he’s doing well & that "Tom can do anything he wants"...bring on Feile2019 #latelate @tomhappens
— Sarah Fitzgibbon (@sarahfitzgibbo1) January 25, 2019
Isn’t @tomhappens just lovely! Wonderful way of telling a story. Great to see him so full of life and fully recovered. Continued good health. #LateLateShow #latelate
— Dr Elaine Byrne (@ElaineByrne) January 25, 2019
Tom Dunne is a sound bloke here’s to many years of good health to him #LateLateShow #latelate
— Graham Patchell (@GrahamPatchell) January 25, 2019
This is a gr8 interview by @tomhappens . After major surgery you do go thru mental trauma.. I've been there. Great to see him looking so well #latelate
— Aoife Somers (@aoifesomers) January 25, 2019
The Late Late Show airs on Friday nights at 9.35pm on RTÉ One.
