Matthew Perry's Sister Recounts Brush With Death

In Netflix's documentary 'The One About Matthew Perry,' his sister Mia Perry Bowick detailed the harrowing 2018 medical emergency that threatened the actor's life. She received a frantic call informing her of his critical condition following a ruptured colon, which led to a severe infection and weeks spent in a coma. Mia recalled seeing him in the ICU, fearing he would not wake up.

Doctors explained that the rupture caused widespread sepsis, leaving Matthew's survival uncertain. He was transferred to UCLA and placed on an ECMO machine for life support. During this time, his sister visited daily, witnessing his critical state and his body's struggle, including fingertips turning black.

Mia connected his medical crisis to his opioid addiction, noting how opioids can slow the digestive tract. This realization brought anger towards herself for denial and towards Matthew for his self-destructive path. The family had faced previous scares, but this was the first time his survival was genuinely unknown.

After approximately two weeks, Matthew began to wake up. Upon learning the full extent of his ordeal, he broke down crying. He remained hospitalized for three months and required extensive home care, including a colostomy bag and round-the-clock assistance due to his fragile health.

Archival footage also featured Matthew Perry himself discussing the 2018 event, stating he was given a mere 2% chance of survival that night. He noted that five people were on ECMO that night, and he was the sole survivor. His memoir and interviews further detailed his months-long hospitalization and numerous surgeries, underscoring the severity of his near-fatal health crisis.