Corrie and Emmerdale star Gemma Oaten shares update after 'nearly dying for fifth time'

Soap star Gemma Oaten has shared a health update after 'nearly dying for fifth time'. The actress, who is probably best recgonised for starring in both Emmerdale and more recently Coronation Street, had been struck down with coronavirus when her health took a turn for the worse earlier this month.

Gemma, who played Rachel Breckle in Emmerdale, told her fans that she had been diagnosed with a rare condition called Milk-alkali syndrome following a "scary" trip to A&E after suffering problems with her kidney while also dealing with Covid.

A couple of days after sharing news of her hospital dash, the 37-year-old returned to social media and shared a black and white snap of herself in a bed alongside several others from her hospital stay. "Hi everyone. I'm so sorry I've been quiet. I've been inundated with messages and tried to keep up, as have my parents, but we've hit a brick wall [crying with laughter emoji]," she said at the time.

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"I just thought it best to do an update for all you lovely people so our phones can cool down and we can get some rest at what's been a really horrible time for us all and my close family and friends."

She went on to explain that she had been diagnosed with milk-alkali syndrome, a rare condition where there is a high level of calcium in the body, otherwise known as hypercalcemia, which causes a an imbalance of acid and base toward alkaline (metabolis alkalosis) and can lead to the loss of kidney functions.

Continuing her recovery at home in London, Gemma, who briefly appeared in Corrie last year, explained in a lengthy Instagram post how she was feeling about her diagnosis and discussed how it has made her