Early in Vanderpump Rules Season 11, Tom Schwartz discussed how worried he was about his brother Bert Schwartz’s health.
Bert, one of his triplet brothers, was suffering from cirrhosis, acute liver failure, and severe jaundice. Not long ago, he was given “less than three months to live” and recommended for hospice care. Fortunately, Bert was able to get on the organ transplant list, and following three separate liver transplants, his health has finally started to improve.
Now the brothers are talking about Bert’s near-death experience, as they reveal what his health looks like today.
Bert sees things differently these days
April 1 marked the eight-month anniversary of Bert’s successful liver transplant, Tom told Bravo’s The Daily Dish. Now he says he’s “doing well” and “very grateful.”
In addition, Bert is proudly sober these days. “I don’t drink or do any drugs or anything,” he said. “I’m very healthy, I exercise, and I’ve just noticed the change in the wiring in my brain, too. I reflect on life a lot differently and see things a different way. It’s very interesting and it’s very enjoyable.”
As Tom shared sometime back on Pump Rules, Bert’s alcoholism started years ago, after he was “jumped outside of a bar.” Schwartz said, before the incident, “Bert used to be like this ray of sunshine.”
But following the attack, “He was just kind of never the same,” Tom shared. “He slowly started developing a dependency on alcohol.”
A second chance at life
“I’ll say a lot of people, including my older brother here, have seen me at my worst,” Bert added. “But now, they see me at my best. So, that’s the turnaround. I’m very grateful and [it’s] rewarding. I’m just high on life.”
Though at one point, Bert’s doctors were predicting that he wasn’t going to make it, Schwartz says he “never lost hope or conviction,” that his brother would make a full recovery.
“I love you and I’m so f*cking happy that you’re just sitting here next to me right now,” the VPR star said. “It’s f*cking traumatizing.”
“I’ve been savoring every moment I have with you,” Tom told Bert, “just knowing how close you were to not making it, brother. I know you’re full of gratitude and you’re committed to staying healthy and sober.”
Once his healing is complete and he’s strong enough, Tom shared that Bert’s dream is “moving to Los Angeles to work in production.” Here’s hoping his dream comes true.
Vanderpump Rules airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on Bravo.
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