Shane MacGowan’s wife Victoria Mary Clarke has shared some heartfelt words for fans of the Pogues star as he continues receiving hospital care.
The singer behind the Christmas anthem “Fairytale of New York” was diagnosed with viral encephalitis, an uncommon and potentially life-threatening condition that causes the brain to swell, last December.
He has repeatedly been admitted to the hospital, with Clarke providing occasional updates.
In June, MacGowan, 65, was admitted once again and has received inpatient care ever since.
On Tuesday (14 November), Clarke shared a new image of MacGowan wearing a hospital robe and assistive breathing apparatus, while thanking his Pogues bandmate Spider Stacy, and Irish musician Terry Woods for visiting him.
“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,” she wrote alongside the picture.
“Love and prayers for everyone who is struggling right now. Hang in there!”
Victoria Mary Clarke shares a picture of husband, The Pogues star Shane MacGowan
(Twitter – Victoria Mary Clarke)
Clarke, a journalist, has been in a relationship with MacGowan for decades. They married in 2018.
Last month, she shared her gratitude for improvements in MacGowan’s condition, as well as her hopes that he’d be discharged soon.
“Feeling really really grateful that @ShaneMacGowan is looking so bright today!” MacGowan captioned a photo of the singer-songwriter. “And we [are] as determined as ever to get home! Thank you a million times to all of the doctors and nurses and all of the staff and everyone who is visiting him!”
Earlier in November, Clarke also shared a photo of her and MacGowan sharing a kiss in his hospital bed, alongside an extended caption about the nature of love.
“Sometimes when you love very deeply, you will find yourself facing terrifying fears of loss that can feel so big and devastating that you don’t know how you can survive them and you can’t imagine life without this person that you love,” she wrote.
MacGowan has used a wheelchair since 2015 after fracturing his pelvis in a fall, leaving a studio in Dublin. After years of MacGowan battling addictions to drugs and alcohol, Clarke told journalists in 2016 that he was sober “for the first time in years”.
If you or someone you know is suffering from alcohol addiction, you can confidentially call the national alcohol helpline Drinkline on 0300 123 1110 or visit the NHS website here for information about the programmes available to you.