Baz Ashmawy has opened up about his terrifying brush with death while on a plane in 2011.
The 50 Ways To Kill Your Mammy star was travelling from Dublin to London when he suddenly found it very difficult to breathe.
After the flight, he went to the hospital and doctors told him if he had been on the plane any longer he would have died.
Baz said he became very uncomfortable when doctors tried to relieve the pressure on his lung.
“They were having difficulty trying to stab a tube through my breastplate, in a very Pulp Fiction-type of way.” he told the Sunday Independent
“It was very painful and I started to go into shock. In the end, they punctured me through the ribs and I could breath again.”
Baz was then diagnosed with bullous lung disease – a condition that reduces the lungs’ ability to expand and contract – and had to undergo surgery to fix the problem.
After the surgery he had to lie on his back for four months to recover, and Baz admits it was a very difficult period in his life.
“I was quite blue and depressed about it for a long time, as it took me about two years to fully recover.” he said.
“I’m nearly six foot three so I’m a big guy and I had prided myself on being strong and healthy. I love feeling alive, and I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to run, climb or dive any more.
“I’ve had to make changes in my lifestyle, like casual smoking is something I can’t do now. I have a young family, and they’re a great motivation for me to want to be around for as long as I can for them.”
