Bachelors lead singer Con Cluskey thanks life-saving hospital staff

Nov 19 2009 By Emma Davison

Con, who had been out playing golf only the day before his ordeal, had to be given six pints of blood to replace the three-and-a-half litres he lost during his ordeal.

After a week in hospital he is now recuperating well at home, although doctors are yet to determine what caused his sudden illness.

But Con is grateful to be alive and says he has the team at the hospital to thank for that.

He said: “I lost so much blood – almost a body full – and almost went.

“There’s no doubt that without the ground-breaking microsurgery and the skill of the surgeons at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary I would not be here.

“I would never say anything against the NHS. It was absolutely brilliant the way these nurses and doctors worked.

“I’ve given blood in the past and I’m a great believer that everybody who can give blood should.

“My message to my fans is that they consider donating blood as a Christmas gift to somebody like me who might desperately need it.”

Because of his illness Con had to cancel three gigs – the first time he has had to do so in a showbiz career spanning 50 years.

But he is determined to get back on stage performing before the end of the year to celebrate what has been a fantastic few years for the original Irish boy band who have sold 22 million records.

He said: “I’m getting back to my old self now and we’ve got a few shows planned for before Christmas and for New Year which I’m aiming for.

“We’ve got quite a few shows planned for next year. We’ve had a fantastic few years. Last year our album went to number five in the charts and number two in Ireland outselling U2!

“We’ve been playing since 1963 and it’s wonderful to be back in the charts again and knowing we still have great fans.”