Derryn Hinch reveals he died on operating table during liver transplant: 'I should have done it'
Australian media icon Derryn Hinch has revealed he was clinically dead while on an operating table.
Speaking to the Herald Sun Over the weekend, as he approached his 80th birthday, Hinch expressed his gratitude for every day since he almost lost his life during a liver transplant in 2011.
'I heard from my surgeon, Bob Jones, that I died on the table and they managed to get me back. “I have now lived thirteen years longer than I should have because it bothered me,” the media personality said.
'Since then I have had a political career, I have been a senator. “I have been in journalism for more than 60 years,” he added.
Hinch plans to enjoy a big birthday party in Melbourne for his 80th, where he will be joined by his partner of six years, Lynda Stoner.
Derryn Hinch has revealed he was clinically dead while on an operating table. As he approaches his 80th birthday, Hinch expressed gratitude for every day since he almost lost his life during a liver transplant in 2011.
'I used to hate the word luck, but I was lucky. I've had a fantastic life,” Hinch said, reflecting on his new life since his health problems over a decade ago.
The former senator underwent a liver transplant in 2011 after being diagnosed with aggressive cancer, and the organ was donated by Heath Gardner's family.
But the New Zealand-born broadcaster said in 2020 that he has not spoken to the Gardner family for more than two years after he started drinking alcohol again after surgery.
'They got very angry when I announced: “Yes, I have had a drink again”. Even though I had my doctor's clearance, they didn't like that,” Hinch told the Herald Sun's Showbiz fired podcast.
'I heard from my surgeon, Bob Jones, that I died on the table and they managed to get me back. “I have now lived 13 years longer than I should have because it bothered me,” he said
“I will always recognize that family for what they did and for the fact that without them I wouldn't be here.”
Hinch credits the family's generosity for keeping him alive for another ten years and had hoped to repair the troubled relationship before the ten-year anniversary of the transplant in 2021.
The relationship first began to crumble after Hinch appeared on 60 Minutes in 2012 after surgery.
The family believes the program portrayed Mr. Gardner as a criminal after the segment focused on his troubled past.
Hinch said his cancer diagnosis in 2010 changed his outlook and started living his life to the fullest for the remaining time he had left.
The former senator underwent a liver transplant in 2011 after being diagnosed with aggressive cancer, and the organ was donated by Heath Gardner's family.