{"id":52072,"date":"2026-04-23T15:33:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T14:33:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thetab.com\/realityshrine\/?p=52072"},"modified":"2026-04-23T15:33:38","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T14:33:38","slug":"though-i-was-going-to-die-sam-vanderpump-recalls-terrifying-moment-his-organs-shut-down","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thetab.com\/realityshrine\/2026\/04\/23\/though-i-was-going-to-die-sam-vanderpump-recalls-terrifying-moment-his-organs-shut-down\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Thought I was going to die&#8217;: Sam Vanderpump recalls terrifying moment his organs shut down"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Vanderpump Villa and Made in Chelsea star Sam Vanderpump has <a href=\"https:\/\/thetab.com\/realityshrine\/2026\/04\/16\/sam-vanderpump-given-five-years-to-live-due-to-end-stage-liver-disease-after-vanderpump-villa\/\">opened up about his terrifying health battle<\/a>, with doctors saying he only has five years to live unless he gets an organ transplant.<\/p>\n<p>He opened up about the moment he was admitted into hospital in an interview with <a href=\"https:\/\/sepsistrust.org\/sepsisvoices\/sam-vanderpump-story\/\">The Sepsis Trust<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Whilst Sam was diagnosed with a genetic liver and kidney condition when he was a child, it had never caused him any health issues. At the start of December last year, Sam fell ill with the flu and had to spent a couple of days in hospital after a severe asthma attack.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" style=\"background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);\" data-instgrm-captioned=\"\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DXOxGIEDei3\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\">\n<div style=\"padding: 16px;\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\">\n<div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: auto;\">\n<div style=\"width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;\"><a style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DXOxGIEDei3\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A post shared by Sam Vanderpump (@samvanderpump)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><br \/>\nBut even after going home, Sam still felt like something was wrong, recalling: &#8220;For the next ten days, I was complaining of back pain and flu-like symptoms I just couldn\u2019t shake. It was very peculiar. I kept saying it was crazy how I couldn\u2019t kick this flu.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>After shopping with his girlfriend he asked if they could go home because he felt so unwell, and from there is condition worsened rapidly. He explained: &#8220;I was taking loads of codeine for the back pain, and by Monday morning I wasn\u2019t making any sense. Alice thought I\u2019d overdosed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>When Sam arrived at hospital in the ambulance, his bloodwork revealed that he was going into complete liver and kidney failure and he was quickly rushed into the resuscitation unit.<\/p>\n<p>He was on oxygen for the first few days of recovering and described it as the &#8220;scariest moment&#8221; of his life, telling <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.com\/tvshowbiz\/article-14304011\/made-chelsea-star-reveals-nearly-died-liver-kidney-failure-caused-life-threatening-sepsis.html\">MailOnline<\/a>: &#8220;I thought I was going to die. I didn&#8217;t think my body could cope and that was the scariest thing. It was terrifying. I didn\u2019t think I was going to survive or see the outside of the hospital again.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Sam also developed jaundice,\u00a0 causing his skin and whites of his eyes to turn yellow and he also had to have a catheter fitted. It took Sam months to physically recover, and doctors have since told Sam that he only has five years to live unless he manages to get a liver transplant.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" style=\"background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);\" data-instgrm-captioned=\"\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DWYdkcXDfqT\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\">\n<div style=\"padding: 16px;\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\">\n<div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: auto;\">\n<div style=\"width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;\"><a style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DWYdkcXDfqT\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A post shared by Sam Vanderpump (@samvanderpump)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><br \/>\nSam told co-stars Ollie Locke, who appeared alongside him on Vanderpump Villa, and Tabitha: \u201cThere is no hope of my liver getting better and he said I wouldn\u2019t be having this call with you if I thought you could make it through the next four or five years. They\u2019re sending me for liver transplant assessment, so yeah.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sam explained that for now he\u2019s feeling healthy but isn\u2019t sure what the future will hold, explaining: \u201cThe way I look at it is I\u2019m healthy now, hopefully I will remain healthy all the way up until I\u2019ll get a call and go in for surgery and then I wake up and I\u2019ll be healthier.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\">For all the latest reality TV cast member news, scandals, gossip and updates \u2013 like\u00a0<\/i><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\"><a class=\"c-link c-link--underline\" href=\"https:\/\/realitytvshrine.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"https:\/\/realitytvshrine.com\/\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\">Reality Shrine<\/a><\/i><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\">\u00a0on\u00a0<\/i><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\"><a class=\"c-link c-link--underline\" 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transplant<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":249734183,"featured_media":52075,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1358],"tags":[1386,2113],"class_list":["post-52072","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-made-in-chelsea","tag-vanderpump-villa"],"acf":[],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/realitytvshrine.com\/realityshrine\/2026\/04\/23\/though-i-was-going-to-die-sam-vanderpump-recalls-terrifying-moment-his-organs-shut-down\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"&#8216;Thought I was going to die&#8217;: Sam Vanderpump recalls terrifying moment his organs shut 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