Miriam O’Callaghan is counting down the days to 2020 after a traumatic six months in the second half of 2019.
The RTE broadcaster has told how one of her sons was hospitalised after contracting a type of septicaemia from an injury while playing rugby at school.
While it was an extremely worrying few weeks for the popular TV host, it has now made her realise how wonderful our health service is in times of crisis.
Miriam told RSVP Magazine: “When he got ill, it stopped us all in our tracks but we are all much happier now that he has recovered.”
She added: “We spend our life on Prime Time doing stories about failings in the health service, however he was brilliantly looked after.
“When you are very sick, you get brilliant treatment in this country.
“Obviously, I spend a lot of time doing stories criticising the health but, wow, when my boy was sick the health service delivered.
“They delivered in huge amounts and he got brilliant doctors and brilliant nurses and he is doing great now.”
Miriam sat at her son’s hospital bedside as he fought blood poisoning – and found it hard to switch from her mother role to become Prime Time anchor twice a week and present her weekend radio show.
She explained: “I had to compartmentalise it and get on with my work.
“People at home really just want to know the big current affairs stories and I have to be a professional and go on air.
“But I really wanted to say, ‘Listen, I have just spent the last 24 hours down in a big hospital with a sick child and I really don’t feel up to doing this’. But I can’t do that as professional.”
Miriam counts herself lucky now that things have returned to normal in their household and her son is continuing to make a full recovery.
She continued: “Every year that ends when you are still healthy and your children are still healthy is a great year.
“I always use that old sayings that our fathers and grandfathers used, your health is your wealth!
The Prime Time presenter shares the exact same birthday as Nigella Lawson but don’t expect a massive party when she turns 60 in January.
Instead she will be keeping things low key and her late sister will be on her mind: “I didn’t have a 16th, 18th, 21st, 30th, 40th or 50th birthday party so I won’t be having one when I turn 60.
“As most people know, my sister died when she was 33 and I can’t understand why people look at ageing and think it is sad to be getting older. I thank God for every day I am here on this planet.”
Christmas will be a welcome break for Miriam and her husband Steve Carson, but it will be a busy day for them with all eight children home for the holidays.
“They all help me, but I make the dinner,” said Miriam. “I go to mass and Steve goes to his Presbyterian church and then we are going to my sister in law’s in Cabinteely, she is married to my late sister’s husband, for lots of champagne.
“We will get a taxi back and hopefully I won’t have burned the turkey.”
