Shane MacGowan 's wife, Victoria Mary Clarke, has asked for "love and prayers" in a new update about the singer's health.
The Pogues frontman is currently in hospital receiving treatment for viral encephalitis, a serious condition causing swelling on the brain. Victoria shared a photo of Shane, 65, in his hospital bed and thanked everyone for their messages of support.
She also expressed gratitude to Shane's bandmates, Spider Stacy and Terry Woods, for visiting him in hospital. Taking to Twitter, aka X, on Tuesday night, Victoria told her followers: "I just wanted to say a massive thanks to everyone who has been messaging me and @ShaneMacGowan and thank you @spiderstacy and Terry Woods for coming to visit him love and prayers for everyone who is struggling right now hang in there!
READ MORE: RTE Maura Derrane's younger sister dies as heartbreaking tributes paid
Earlier this week, Victoria spoke about the fear of "losing a person" that you love. She wrote: "Love is the most beautiful and powerful thing that we can experience as humans but love can also feel painful especially if you are afraid of losing a person or anything else that you love."
"The really really big challenge that we all face is to go beyond what our minds think are the limits of love and what love really is. A lot of the time that thing we call love can more accurately be described as attachment or desire or need or longing or closeness or connection."
She said that you can "find yourself facing terrifying fears of loss" when you love someone "very deeply", and that such feelings are "so big and devastating you don't know how to survive them". "You can't imagine life without this person that you love," she said. "It's in these moments when you are staring into the abyss that you have an opportunity to expand your consciousness beyond the limitations of your mind."
Many stars and fans of The Fairytale of New York singer have been sending their love amid his latest health battle, with Irish singer songwriter Imelda May was among those well-wishers hoping Shane makes a speedy recovery. Irish television presenter Miriam O'Callaghan recently told Victoria on social media: "I will light candles today for you and your incredible Shane that all will be well."
Shane - who has been sober since 2016 - has been using a wheelchair for the last few years, after breaking his pelvis in 2015. "Some days are better than others. He doesn't complain about being in pain, but it can't be hard," his long-term partner Victoria Mary Clarke told the Irish Post in 2021. "Shane doesn't have any sort of disease but he broke his pelvis a few years ago and since then he's had trouble walking. I do get help with the caring but he likes it when we can eat together and when I'm there."
Join the Irish Mirror’s breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive breaking news and the latest headlines direct to your phone. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
