Derryn Hinch is back in hospital after a series of health setbacks in recent months.
The veteran broadcaster is being treated for an infection following a fall, according to his official Facebook page.
A post made by Hinch’s assistant on Tuesday showed the 81-year-old tucked in his hospital bed, looking frail.
‘Hinch in hospital with infected legs after a fall. No post for awhile,’ the attached caption read.
The comments section was inundated with support from the journalist’s many fans, with many wishing him a speedy recovery.
Hinch has survived a near-fatal liver transplant, a facial melanoma, a blood infection and a cardiac arrhythmia in recent years.
Derryn Hinch (pictured) is back in hospital after a series of health setbacks in recent months. The veteran broadcaster is being treated for an infection following a fall, according to his official Facebook page
He recently revealed he would consider using Voluntary Assisted Dying if he were facing a terminal illness.
Voluntary Assisted Dying refers to the process by which someone in the late stages of an advanced disease can take a substance prescribed by a doctor that will bring about their death.
Hinch shared his thoughts during an interview with Neil Mitchell on the Neil Mitchell Asks Why Podcast, saying,’ Yes, I would. Yes’, when asked whether he would end his life with medical assistance.
‘One of my best friends, Bob Rogers, did have his life taken by voluntary assisted dying because he had no quality of life,’ he said of his fellow radio legend, who passed away aged 97 in May last year.
‘He couldn’t go to the toilet by himself. He couldn’t shower. He couldn’t dress himself. And the last time I took him out to lunch I had to get on my hands and knees to lift his feet into a taxi. I thought, “This is not living.”‘
Hinch, who now uses a walker to get around, said he’s thankful that his mind is still sharp despite a string of physical ailments.
‘I’m very lucky that my brain still seems to be going. Some people will dispute that, but it seems to be,’ he joked.
‘But if my brain went, I’ve told my medical attorney not to revive me,’ he added.
He recently revealed he would consider using Voluntary Assisted Dying if he were facing a terminal illness. Pictured during an earlier hospital visit
Voluntary Assisted Dying is legal in all six states of Australia, with Victoria being the first state to legalise the procedure in June 2019.
It is not yet legal in the Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory.
It comes after Derryn revealed, in December, that he was admitted to hospital for a heart issue.
He was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, also known as an irregular heartbeat, in November and underwent electroshock therapy to reset his heart rhythm.
‘I found myself getting short of breath and I thought “this is not normal”, so I went to my doctor and had an ECG (electrocardiogram)’ he told the Herald Sun.
‘My cardiologist booked me into hospital and they gave me an electric shock to the heart, which is pretty scary, but it worked’ he continued.
‘It put my heart back into a regular rhythm and I will just see how it improves my breathing in the weeks ahead.’
He also revealed, in June last year, that he was facing a ‘pretty serious’ skin cancer battle.
Hinch told the Herald Sun he was undergoing five weeks of daily radiation treatment in a bid to get rid of a melanoma on his forehead.
Hinch, who now uses a walker to get around, said he’s thankful that his mind is still sharp despite a string of physical ailments
He also revealed, in June last year, that he was facing a ‘pretty serious’ skin cancer battle
‘I tick off each day and once that day is gone, it is gone. It is pretty serious but as someone once said, that’s life,’ he said.
In July, Hinch revealed he had suffered a fall during the Christmas break that left him needing a walker.
‘I spent Christmas Day with two black eyes,’ he explained on 10 News+.
He added that since using a walker, which he has affectionately nicknamed ‘Johnny’ after the ordeal, it has given him renewed ‘confidence’.
‘Now I have got a walker, that will speed me up and gives you incredible confidence,’ he added.
‘I say to anyone who has leg problems or balance problems – “get a walker.” Pride comes before the fall.’
Hinch also opened up about undergoing a liver transplant in 2011 after being diagnosed with aggressive cancer and advanced cirrhosis.
He brushed off criticism he faced after admitting he drank following the transplant.
‘I got a 28-year-old’s liver, and I met his family,’ Hinch said.
‘People criticised me because I still had my occasional glass of wine, white wine with ice in it or frozen grapes. But I thought, if I’ve got five more years to live, I want to live them well.’