Doctor Who star ‘died four times’ with ‘survival odds close to zero’ as he reveals horror heart attack in health update
DOCTOR Who star Mark Sheppard has opened up about ‘dying four times’ following his horror heart attack in December.
The actor got candid as he spoke out on his health issues which he suffered towards the end of last year.
Mark collapsed and was rushed to the Providence St. Joseph Medical Center whereby paramedics had to bring him back to life at least four times.
In a positive update, the star had revealed that he does not have an “ongoing heart issue” despite suffering six heart attacks during his collapse.
Speaking at the Dublin Comic Con event over the weekend, Mark said: “The elephant in the room – I do not have heart disease. I do not have an ongoing heart issue.”
However, he did admit that he did have another scary health concern looming over him.
He added: “The only thing that I’m at risk of is apparently sudden cardiac death. Which is kind of fun. Really, there’s nothing else I’m worried about.
“Heredity is a very interesting thing. My father and his father and his father all had relative cholesterol problems.”
Mark, famed for his role on Supernatural, enjoyed a two-episode stint on Doctor Who in 2011 during Matt Smith‘s tenure as well as racking up a bunch of credits in programmes including Doom Patrol, White Collar and Battlestar Galactica.
During his appearance at the fan event over the weekend, he opened up on the dramatic moments that led up to his horror collapse.
He said: “I just had skin cancer surgery and then I had to have an abdominoplasty to take care of the eight-inch gash in the middle of my belly that completely distorted my body.
“So I lost a bunch of weight and got really healthy, took me about three months to get healthy, and then had an abdominoplasty.
“And so I was about to get the drains taken out from the surgery that I’d had and my buddy was supposed to take me down…and I didn’t feel good.
“I had a little something in my jaw but I thought it was the drugs (painkillers). Because I’ve been sober for 34 years I thought it was the drugs… I was taking a really strong opioid and I didn’t like it and I was being careful with it and stuff.
“And my mate was supposed to drive me down to Beverly Hills 10 minutes away, so I was like, ‘No, I don’t feel up to it. Hold on. I gotta be a little careful here. This is not good’.
“It was so bad that I was actually at my kitchen island, and I think I was about four feet away and I was suspended on the kitchen island because I needed to work out what was going on. And the next thing I know I went down like a ton of bricks.”
Eventually, the star came round as his wife had phoned 911 and he attempted to collect some underwear from the next room to take with him to the hospital.
He then woke up once again with a medical professional staring at him after his consciousness dropped out again.
The same thing happened a further two times during his hospital stay as he recalled: ” So I had 100 percent blockage in my Widowmaker artery… So the statistical possibilities of me being alive. Well, very close to zero.
“I was very clearly aware of the fact that it was going to die.
“My brain said, ‘Just breathe out you’re done,’ and I was like, ‘I’m not doing this,’ I got very, very mad and fought every step of the way. The more I fought, the more they (medics) fought with me.”
Mark now has an instilled defibrillator installed in his chest that can wake him up within seconds should he suffer from any further heart issues.
Talking about how the traumatic ordeal had affected him, he said: “So I have no heart disease. I’m really healthy. I’m better off than I was before I started. Mentally it’s a little difficult.
“It’s an odd thing to survive when you don’t know and you lose the power to make choices and you start going I’m not done. I really don’t want to be done. I’ve got things to do.
“Unfortunately, I’ve got to sell all my motorcycles. I’m not allowed to be within 24 inches of a running motor and it’s kind of fun going through customs. So I have a medical card and fun stuff but I’m actually fitter and healthier and three stone lighter than I was last year.”