Alice Yaxley is standing by her fiancé through one of the most challenging moments of their lives.
The 24-year-old model, who is expecting her first child with “Made in Chelsea” star Sam Vanderpump, opened up about how emotional it was to watch his health battle unfold on television.
Yaxley’s Emotional Response
In a TikTok video shared Tuesday, Yaxley admitted she broke down after watching the latest episode. “I don’t usually watch Made in Chelsea because it cringes me out,” she said while making fresh orange juice. “But I did watch last night because it was a very emotional one from Sam. I couldn’t deal with it. It really made me cry.”
She tried to lighten the mood, adding with a small laugh, “I’m not going to the gym at the moment, so this is probably a really good arm workout for me.”
The couple, who announced their pregnancy last month, said the news came as a surprise since Yaxley has polycystic ovaries.
Sam Vanderpump Opens Up About His Life-Threatening Diagnosis
The 28-year-old “Made in Chelsea” star, who is the nephew of reality icon Lisa Vanderpump, revealed on Monday’s episode that he has been diagnosed with end-stage liver disease. The condition, he shared, could limit his life expectancy to only four or five years without a transplant.
“There is no hope of my liver getting better,” Vanderpump told fellow cast member Ollie Locke on the E4 show, as shared by Daily Mail. “He said I wouldn’t be having this call with you if I thought you could make it through the next four or five years. They’re sending me for a liver transplant assessment, so yeah.”
Despite the grim news, Vanderpump remains optimistic. “The way I look at it is I’m healthy now,” he said. “Hopefully I will remain healthy until I get a call, go in for surgery, and then wake up and be healthier.”
Vanderpump’s Rare Conditions & Past Health Scare
Vanderpump was born with two rare conditions: congenital hepatic fibrosis of the liver and polycystic kidney disease. They remained dormant until a flu infection in December triggered organ failure. Combined with asthma, the illness caused his body to struggle to recover.
Earlier this year, Vanderpump shared that he “nearly died” after his liver and kidneys failed, leading to sepsis. He credited Alice for saving his life after she called an ambulance when he became delirious.
“They told me if I had gotten to the hospital 24–48 hours later, I wouldn’t have made it,” he told MailOnline. “By calling the ambulance, my girlfriend literally saved my life.”
Doctors discovered his liver enzymes were dangerously high and his white cell count had doubled. “They told me I was the sickest patient on the ward,” he recalled.
The Fight Ahead & Public Support for Organ Donation
Vanderpump’s openness about his illness has inspired public support and renewed attention on organ donation. After the episode aired, the producers of “Made in Chelsea” released a statement on social media encouraging fans to register as donors.
“You may have seen in tonight’s episode that Sam Vanderpump needs an organ transplant,” the post read. “Our thoughts are with Sam and his family as they face this news. We hope that his courage in speaking out will inspire others.”
The post continued, “Thousands of people are currently waiting for a life-saving transplant. If you want to be an organ donor and save lives after your death, please confirm your decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register and make sure your loved ones know.”
For now, Vanderpump is focused on staying strong for his fiancée and their unborn child. “I’m healthy now,” he said on the show. “Hopefully I’ll remain that way until it’s time for surgery.”
Je suis très touché par le courage de Sam Vanderpump et de sa fiancée Alice face à ce diagnostic si difficile. Leur histoire met en lumière l’importance cruciale du don d’organes. En lisant l’article, je me suis demandé comment fonctionne exactement le processus d’allocation des greffons pour les personnes en attente, surtout avec la récente baisse des dons évoquée. J’ai trouvé un article très détaillé, “UK Transplant: A Practitioner’s Insight into Decreased Donor Allocation and the Waiting List for Members”, qui offre un point de vue interne fascinant sur les défis actuels. Est-ce que quelqu’un sait si ces contraintes logistiques et cette augmentation des critères de sélection, comme décrit ici https://uktransplant.org/uk-transplant-decreased-donor-allocation-waiting-list-members-insider-view, ont un impact direct sur les temps d’attente pour des maladies rares comme celle de Sam ? Cela aiderait à mieux comprendre le parcours des patients.