Terry DiMonte had a narrow escape. The former star host of CHOM, who left the station in 2021 following 37 years on his microphone, was placed on life support for 25 days following undergoing heart surgery in Vancouver last month. “It’s been hard to live with, but I feel better every day,” he told the Journal.
On January 3, Terry DiMonte celebrated his 65th birthday at Vancouver General Hospital. The former radio man, who moved to the West Coast with his wife Jessica in the summer of 2021, was due to undergo open-heart surgery to replace a valve.
“We were told that 3% to 5% of people develop complications,” says Jessica. Of the eight possible complications, he developed seven! »
Terry notably suffered from severe pneumonia which aggravated his case. Result: he was put on an artificial respirator for 25 days because he might not breathe on his own.
“It scared me enough, recognizes his wife. It was shocking because we weren’t expecting that so much. Everyone told us it was going to be fine. »
After 32 days, Terry DiMonte was discharged from the hospital. Since then, he has been resting quietly at home.
“The doctor told us it would take until July before he felt normal,” Jessica said. He has no energy and [est] very tired. Every day, we try to have him walk for a total of 30 minutes. »
wave of love
Present on the call with his wife, Terry DiMonte wished to thank all the people who sent him love in the last days.
“I haven’t been on the air for two years. [à CHOM]and I found it very touching to receive all these comments. […] One of the things I was most proud of when I worked at CHOM was creating a connection with French-speaking listeners. »
When he’s in better shape, around April, Terry DiMonte mentions that he would like to take a flight back to Montreal to record in the studio the podcast he co-hosts with Ted Bird, Standing By : The Terry and Ted Podcast.
