Comedian Jimmy Carr reveals he narrowly escaped death during his struggle with a serious infection.

When Jimmy Carr was a little boy, he fell very ill. He was diagnosed with meningitis, which is a serious infection that affects the membranes around the brain and spinal cord. Jimmy, now 51, recently opened up about this experience, revealing how close he was to losing his life. He recalled being in the hospital in Ireland, where the doctor warned him that the treatment would be very painful. Jimmy remembered thinking, "You've got to be cruel to be kind," a phrase that his mother thought was funny.

Despite the pain and fear he experienced during his battle with meningitis, Jimmy considers it a defining moment in his life. He shared on the podcast Where There's A Will, There's A Wake with Kathy Burke, "I kind of appreciated that thing of life, because I was always told, 'Oh, you nearly didn't make it'." Surviving such a life-threatening illness made him value life even more.

Meningitis is most common in babies, young children, teenagers, and young adults, according to the NHS. It can be extremely dangerous if not treated quickly, and can even cause permanent damage to the brain or nerves. Jimmy was lucky to have received treatment in time, but he was told by doctors that he was "close to death."

During the podcast, Jimmy also shared his thoughts on how he would like to die. He joked that he would like to be "ravaged by sharks" on a trip to South Africa. He explained, "I want my kids and the people that love me to say, 'Oh, Jimmy died... funny story. He flew to South Africa and he went on one of those great shark cage experiences and he forgoed the cage. He said, no cage for me, thanks. I'll just jump in there with a fish'."

Jimmy even had a close encounter with a reef shark while swimming with a friend in Key West. He recalled the scary moment when the shark flipped around and started swimming towards them. Jimmy joked that he just had to swim faster than his friend, and they both made it back to safety. But he admitted that the idea of being torn apart by sharks and wanting it is a great story for everyone.

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