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Wrexham hero Anthony Forde has opened up on the pivotal role Ryan Reynolds played in helping his wife Laura tackle a heartbreaking brain tumour diagnosis.
Forde, 30, joined the Welsh side from Oxford United in the summer of 2022. At the time, he arrived at the club when the spirits were high thanks to the huge impact Reynolds and co-owner Rob McElhenney had on the club's fortunes.
But while fans of the Red Dragons fell in love with the Deadpool and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia actors for helping them get promoted into League Two, while also uniting the local community, the iconic duo played a much more important role in the lives of Forde and wife Laura. After a routine scan found Laura had, what was initially deemed to be an "inoperable brain tumour" and his brother Kevin was diagnosed with leukemia, the pair played an invaluable role in helping their family.
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When Laura was first informed the tumour had become malignant, she was initially told there was little doctors could do. At the time, the couple had only recently welcomed their baby son Paddy into the world. In an interview with The Times, Laura said: "No word of a lie, I was planning my funeral as I was doing those night feeds. I was crying silently. It was a really low time. A living nightmare.”
While they were coming to terms with the awful news, a call from their family in Limerick informed them Forde's older brother Kevin had also been diagnosed with leukemia. With all of the terrible things that were happening in his family circle, Forde decided to take a break from football.
“I was in no state to carry on,” he admitted. “The manager [Phil Parkinson] was absolutely brilliant with me, along with the owners. They said do what’s right for you and take as long as you like.”
What other stories from Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's reign do you remember? Let us know in the comment section below
Welcome to Wrexham is back to take you behind the scenes at the Welsh club following the superstar takeover by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
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When he heard about the horrific news, Reynolds not only offered his support, he even gave the couple the opportunity to fly to New York for a second opinion from one of the leading neurosurgeons in the world. A highly invasive biopsy, which left a hole in her skull, was carried out to ensure they could get a proper diagnosis.
After six weeks, the news could not have been better as the tumour turned out to be benign and any funeral preparations Laura had set out could all be scrapped. “I was initially in shock and disbelief," she said, when asked about the time she heard the news.
"I was in such a vulnerable place that I felt I should be happier about this, but I had just been through the worst seven weeks imaginable with my newborn baby. I have PTSD as a result. I am going to counselling. I am not ashamed to say that.”
When the positive diagnosis was confirmed, Forde returned to first team training. He even scored in a victory over Yeovil Town to help Wrexham return to the Football League for the first time in 15 years.
With Laura now recovering well, news about his brother Kevin has also been positive. He is understood to be responding well to all of his treatment.
While her health is still being monitored by the same neurosurgeon in New York, Forde is back playing as a regular starter for the Welsh side.
- Wrexham Football Club
- Ryan Reynolds
- Rob McElhenney
- Hollywood
- Family
- Cancer
- Footballblog
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