Former player Darren Oxbrow’s statement upon his diagnosis

A former professional football player who was diagnosed with blood cancer has advised others to seek medical attention if they notice strange symptoms.

 

In 2022, Darren Oxbrow, 54, who had previously played for Colchester United, Maidstone United, and Ipswich Town, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Mr. Oxbrow claimed that realizing something was off came when he started to feel “not himself” while on vacation.

He went on to say: “Men need to admit when there’s something not quite right.”

Mr. Oxbrow encouraged others to “make a call” in that circumstance. He is currently employed with Suffolk Youth Justice Service.

One kind of cancer that develops in the lymphatic system is non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

“You never expect it to happen to yourself, especially after living a healthy, fit life without any problems,” he remarked.

The former Barnet and Kettering Town player, who was also a central defender, was checked multiple times.

The narrow blue line, the Stones, and the Blues
“I was short of energy but couldn’t put a finger on it,” he stated. “I just didn’t feel myself and, when you have lived in your body for 50 years, you know when something is different.”

He was advised to visit the Woolverstone Unit at Ipswich Hospital and was given an incurable cancer diagnosis.

Days leading up to Christmas.”Three days before Christmas, that is when my wife and I received the news. It was utterly disastrous. “You have blood cancer and you will have it for life,” is what you initially hear.

“All of these thoughts cross your mind as soon as you hear that word. What effect does it have? To what extent is it bad? What harm will the cancer cause to me?

“Having to inform my loved ones and relatives was a difficult procedure. Having to relate to all of my children was a big deal. It was really difficult to tell them that their father will be sick for a while.”

The “fighting spirit” he acquired throughout his football career, according to Mr. Oxbrow, who is married to Kate and has four children: Ellen, Will, Lucy, and Jemima, helped him deal.