Caprice Bourret broke down in tears as she spoke of saying goodbye to her three-year-old sons and her partner before going into surgery for a brain tumour.
The model and businesswoman, who earlier this year pulled out of winter sports programme The Jump after being diagnosed with the growth, said she had a new appreciation for her life after initially fearing she was going to die.
The 45-year-old US star told ITV’s Loose Women that learning of the brain tumour was particularly difficult because she waited for a long time to find the “right partner” – Ty Comfort – and have children.
With her voice breaking, Caprice said of going into surgery: “I told my boys I was going away for work.
“But I do remember, I told Ty to just drop me off at the hospital. I said: ‘I’m going to be fine, I know it, I feel it’.
“So he dropped me off and he ended up coming in, and when he left, I just remember being in my bed and praying to my dad in heaven.”
Speaking through her tears, the lingerie company boss said: “I’m like, ‘please I just want to wake up and I want to be OK’.
“And it was the first time it really hit me, when something like this happens, you’re just in shock.”
'The operation was a month ago. You really change a lot. I've reassessed everything' – emotional @CapriceBourret_ on her brain tumour pic.twitter.com/xoNbgNTFBf
— Loose Women (@loosewomen) April 21, 2017
Having only recently spoken about her health battle, Caprice, who underwent a seven-and-a-half-hour operation a month ago, said talking about it now makes her feel “vulnerable”.“I was such a pillar of strength because I thought this was the right thing for my family,” she said.“I didn’t have the support system because I didn’t tell anyone. And then this is the first time I’m really talking about it. But it’s a good thing, because I came out of this and I’m OK now.“I feel very supported and very vulnerable, because I haven’t been vulnerable (yet).”Caprice learned of the non-cancerous growth after suffering a minor injury while taking part in Channel 4′s The Jump in Austria, having undergone a full body scan.
She visited a neurosurgeon who told her the news. She said her first thought was for her family because she was away from home.When asked if she felt alone, she said: “That’s the first thing you think about.“I’m 45 now, but I had waited for the right partner. I met the right partner at 39, I waited for my kids.“It’s terrifying and I’m relatively healthy and I’ve never done drugs and I’ve lived a pretty healthy life, and I just couldn’t believe what they were telling me.”
'I said, "Am I going to die?". The first thing you think about is your kids' – brave @CapriceBourret_ opens up about her brain tumour pic.twitter.com/CicUE4Jxyb
— Loose Women (@loosewomen) April 21, 2017
Caprice said she is doing well after the operation, which she topped off with a “party” to celebrate.
She said: “When something like this happens, you really change a lot. I appreciate life.
“I’m not going to work this hard, I’m going to enjoy my children, I’m going to enjoy my life and I’ve appreciated so much.”
