Katie Waissel, who rose to fame on the seventh series of The X Factor in 2010, has shared a health update after revealing she nearly died during a recent hospital stay. The 40-year-old singer was rushed back to hospital with a suspected blood clot on her lung less than two days after being discharged while still recovering from severe bacterial pneumonia.
Close Call with Death
Waissel took to social media to express her shock at how close she came to death. She wrote on X: "I’m still a little bit in shock, if I’m honest, coming to terms with just how close I came to not being here anymore. It’s made me realise there are still so many things I want to see, do, learn and experience." She added that the experience has inspired her to write a bucket list and start ticking things off, noting that "one day" is not a date to rely on.
Hospital Ordeal
The ordeal began when Waissel was admitted to St John + St Elizabeth's Hospital in London with severe bacterial pneumonia. She later disclosed on X: "After a day and a half at home, I’m now BACK at the hospital and not doing so great. Whilst still battling this awful bacterial pneumonia, there’s now a suspected blood clot on my lung, so I’m back in for more scans, tests and needles. I’m fairly certain I’ve run out of veins for people to poke at this point."
Gratitude and Focus on Family
Waissel, who has a seven-year-old son named Hudson with ex-partner Andy Speer, thanked the medical team at HCA Hospitals UK Wellington Hospital for their care. She said: "Right now, I just want to get better and get home to my little boy. Fingers crossed for some good news." She also apologised for her absence from social media, explaining that she had been rushed into hospital by ambulance and admitted as an emergency.
Reflecting on the Experience
In an earlier update, Waissel described the experience as "one of the most frightening and excruciatingly painful experiences of my life." She added: "At one point I was apparently far closer to the edge than I realised. It’s a very strange feeling being told afterwards just how serious things had become, when the whole time I genuinely thought I just needed to push through it and I’ll be fine because I have to be."
