He survived a near-fatal liver transplant, a facial melanoma, a blood infection and a cardiac arrhythmia.
And veteran broadcaster Derryn Hinch, 81, has now reflected on his mortality, revealing he would consider using Voluntary Assisted Dying if he were facing a terminal illness.
Voluntary Assisted Dying refers to the process by which someone in the late stages of an advanced disease can take a substance prescribed by a doctor that will bring about their death.
Hinch shared his thoughts during an interview with Neil Mitchell on the Neil Mitchell Asks Why Podcast, saying,’ Yes, I would. Yes’, when asked whether he would end his life with medical assistance.
‘One of my best friends, Bob Rogers, did have his life taken by voluntary assisted dying because he had no quality of life,’ he said of his fellow radio legend, who passed away aged 97 in May last year.
‘He couldn’t go to the toilet by himself. He couldn’t shower. He couldn’t dress himself. And the last time I took him out to lunch I had to get on my hands and knees to lift his feet into a taxi. I thought, ‘This is not living.’
Veteran broadcaster Derryn Hinch, 81, (pictured) has revealed he would consider using Voluntary Assisted Dying if he were facing a terminal illness
Hinch, who now uses a walker to get around, said he’s thankful that his mind is still sharp despite a string of physical ailments.
‘I’m very lucky that my brain still seems to be going. Some people will dispute that, but it seems to be,’ he joked.
‘But if my brain went, I’ve told my medical attorney not to revive me,’ he added.
Voluntary Assisted Dying is legal in all six states of Australia, with Victoria being the first state to legalise the procedure in June 2019.
It is not yet legal in Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory.
It comes after Derryn revealed, in December, that he was admitted to hospital for a heart issue.
He was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, also known as an irregular heartbeat, in November and underwent electroshock therapy to reset his heart rhythm.
‘I found myself getting short of breath and I thought ‘this is not normal’, so I went to my doctor and had an ECG (electrocardiogram)’ he told the Herald Sun.
Hinch, who now uses a walker to get around, said he’s thankful that his mind is still sharp despite a string of physical ailments
‘My cardiologist booked me into hospital and on Thursday they gave me an electric shock to the heart, which is pretty scary, but it worked’ he continued.
‘It put my heart back into a regular rhythm and I will just see how it improves my breathing in the weeks ahead.’
He also revealed, in June last year, that he was facing a ‘pretty serious’ skin cancer battle.
Hinch told the Herald Sun he was currently undergoing five weeks of daily radiation treatment in a bid to get rid of a melanoma on his forehead.
The cancerous spot just below his hairline was first discovered by doctors in February and he had it removed, but medics weren’t able to take out the entire area.
He then visited the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre to have a further operation to remove the melanoma and he is now undergoing radiation as ‘insurance’.
‘It is not good. I have had two operations on my face and they still have to do radiation,’ he said.
‘The only good news is they looked at a spot that I was operated on about eight years ago on the other side (of his forehead) and that is clear.
Hinch revealed in December that he was admitted to hospital for a heart issue. He was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, also known as an irregular heartbeat, in November and underwent electroshock therapy to reset his heart rhythm
‘I tick off each day and once that day is gone, it is gone. It is pretty serious but as someone once said, that’s life.’
In July, Hinch revealed he had suffered a fall during the Christmas break that left him needing a walker.
‘I spent Christmas Day with two black eyes,’ he explained on 10 News+.
‘I was at Linda’s [Stoner, Hinch’s partner] place and I tripped trying to get up out of a chair, and my nose hit the table.’
He added that since using a walker, which he has affectionately nicknamed ‘Johnny’ after the ordeal, it has given him renewed ‘confidence’.
‘Now I have got a walker, that will speed me up and gives you incredible confidence,’ he added.
‘I say to anyone who has leg problems or balance problems – “get a walker.” Pride comes before the fall.’
Hinch also opened up about undergoing a liver transplant in 2011 after being diagnosed with aggressive cancer and advanced cirrhosis.
Admitting that he died on the operating table, Hinch brushed off criticism he faced after admitting to drinking following the transplant.
‘I got a 28-year-old’s liver, and I met his family,’ he said.
‘People criticised me because I still had my occasional glass of wine, white wine with ice in it or frozen grapes. But I thought, if I’ve got five more years to live, I want to live them well.’
Despite admitting to the occasional tipple, Hinch added that the amount he drank during his heyday was ‘effing stupid’.
‘I drank far too much,’ he said. ‘I’m glad they didn’t have mobile phones when we used to drink at the Sebel Townhouse.’
Hinch also opened up about undergoing a liver transplant in 2011 after being diagnosed with aggressive cancer and advanced cirrhosis. (Pictured in 2019)
