Chris Bourne has revealed that his older brother, Busted star James, was losing his eyesight in the lead-up to his lifesaving kidney transplant
Busted star James Bourne was losing his eyesight as he waited for a lifesaving kidney transplant. It was in April this year that James, 43, shocked fans by sharing a major health update on social media.
The musician was forced to pull out of his band’s joint tour with McFly due to a then-undisclosed health condition. But on April 4, James told fans he was awaiting surgery to extend his life. And last month, the Air Hostess hitmaker revealed that his younger brother, fellow musician Chris, “saved his life”.
MFT80s singer Chris, 33, gave James the gift of life after he was initially given a prognosis of “a few years”. Chris stepped up and gave his older brother a kidney.
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Now, Chris has shared that James was losing his eyesight in the lead-up to their surgery. “We were in adjoining rooms that were identical and we both had a clock on the wall at the end of our beds which was driving us both insane as we waited to go into surgery,” Chris told The Sun.
He added: “When James went in, he said he had trouble reading the clock. But when he came out of the operation and was taken to his room, he could see the clock.
“The whole process of receiving a new kidney isn’t as instant as that. But for some things, it’s pretty instantaneous; it’s incredible.” Chris, who is in a six-week recovery period, went on to explain that James is doing “really well”.
The surgeon also explained that James had been given a “Bentley Rolls-Royce kidney,” which will now extend his life. Chris says he and his family, including his sister, were unaware that James was seriously ill. After driving to be with his brother, he was instructed to brush up on his skills and learn as many Busted songs as possible to stand in for him on tour.
Chris was given the news while he and his sister Melissa were standing outside Wembley, surrounded by Busted fans. “James was in a really bad way,” he recalled. Chris, Melissa, and their brother Nick all stated they would be kidney donors, with Chris completely changing his lifestyle.
Last month, James shared the news on his Spotify that he was on the road to recovery. Writing in the biography section of his artist page, he said: “Wow, what the hell happened? One minute you’re heading out on tour, the next thing you know you’re on the bench and out of the game. My condition was serious, and the doctors told me I had a few years left to live.
“I’m happy to share now that my youngest brother, Chris, who stepped in for me on tour last year, has saved my life yet again. This time quite literally by donating me one of his kidneys.
“I can’t believe how much better I’m starting to feel already. I’m still going to need some time, but I wanted you to know that we’re both recovering from surgery just fine. My brother is a hero.”
In July, James took to social media to share a rare update, thanking fans for their ongoing support. He wrote: “As I’m taking a break from the gram, I’ll be posting an update soon about what’s going on with my health in my Spotify bio. It’s a long story. Still not out of the woods yet. Thanks for your support and patience.”
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