Martin Roberts has revealed he was told he had just 'hours' left to live after doctors failed to spot a problem with his heart. The TV presenter, who presents the BBC property auction series Homes Under the Hammer, had to undergo an emergency operation to save his life.
The property expert, 59, had the operation last year after he began experiencing pain in his heart. It turned out that his pericardium, which is a fluid-filled sack that protects the organ, had expanded.
The fluid build-up put immense pressure on his heart and as a result, the TV star revealed had to be rushed to hospital. He admitted the life-threatening condition had been 'missed' by doctors, reports The Mirror.
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"A year ago, I had a problem with my heart that hadn’t been noticed," he told The Sun.
"The sack around my heart had expanded and was putting pressure on the heart. I had less than a few hours to live.
"I was rushed into hospital and had an emergency operation where they stabbed a tube into the sack around the heart and drew a litre and a half of fluid."
The TV star added that if he wasn't 'in the right place', he would've 'been dead'.
Martin's terrifying experience changed his outlook on life and made him willing to do 'anything'.
Earlier this year, Martin went through tragic personal loss and revealed his father died at the age of 90.
He said in March: "My dad died yesterday. He was 90 and he had a great life and he died peacefully, he died at home and he wasn't in pain so that's great but it doesn't... well it does help but it doesn't help right now.
"The loss of a parent is something we all have to deal with and there are much worse losses I know, the loss of a child and stuff like that.
"But right now I feel really alone and horrible. So any words you've got would be appreciated," Martin said as tears could be seen rolling down his face.
At the beginning of May, Martin returned to social media to ask for help in solving a problem with his dad's ashes.
In an effort to give his dad a proper send-off, Martin's friend made a "beautiful box" for the ashes to be buried in.
The TV property expert said he would be making the journey to Warrington, so that he could bury his father in the same grave as his late mum.
Yet Martin came against a conundrum as the box was too small to hold all his dad's ashes.
He filmed the amount of ashes left over and said: "The box is already full. I mean, if it wasn't so terrible, I'd be crying right now."
Martin asked: "What do I do? I've got to bury Dad's ashes with Mum because that's what he wanted. But the box... is full?"
Fans took to the comment section to offer their support and some advice, with many telling the star to take the remaining ashes to spread in a place he loved.
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