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Tuesday May 21, 2013

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Golfer Jarrod Lyle speaks of fighting leukaemia for second time

Posted by: Ellen Feely | 20 November, 2012 - 11:13 AM
Jarrod Lyle

At 17 years of age, pro golfer Jarrod Lyle embarked on his battle to successfully fight leukaemia.

But this year, now aged 31, it’s a battle he’s having to relive again – all with his wife and newborn daughter.

Days before expecting the birth of his daughter, Jarrod was diagnosed with leukaemia for the second time.

"I think it was just more shock than anything that because I'd been so well for 12 years and obviously it's not something you think is ever going to come back,” he told Neil Mitchell.

But his mind was well and truly focused on Lusi’s birth, with Jarrod putting off chemotherapy to be there for ‘the greatest day of his life’ when his wife, Bri, delivered their child.

Image

Jarrod with daughter, Lusi. (Photo: Twitter)

"I just burst into tears the moment I heard her scream for the first time,” he said.

With Lusi now eight months old, Jarrod told Neil Mitchell the struggles of having to leave his baby girl when a sign of a sniffle appears in order to preserve his frail immune system.

"It happened probably a month ago where Lucy had a cold. I'd just gotten out of hospital," he told Neil Mitchell.

"I get home and Lucy's got a cold and Bri obviously picked up that cold as well, so I spent three days with my grandparents.

”Then my grandma got a cold and had to leave there and spend a couple of days at my father-in-law's place."

Jarrod said his treatment has prevented him from indulging in his other great love: golf.

"I thought only dangerous thing about golf was getting hit in head with a golf ball, but once the doctors pointed out there's all sorts of fungal spores in the dirt and every time you take a divot you're dislodging dirt," he said.

When asked if facing Leukaemia the second time around is harder because you know what’s coming, Jarrod said his past experiences had actually proved helpful.

"I've been through it before and I almost know what's in store when I walk through those doors," he said.

"I've seen a lot of improvements which obviously you never want to see, but being through it 12 years ago and going through it again in 2012, there's been a lot of advancements in medical science."

Jarrod received a double umbilical cord transplant in August after no suitable adult bone barrow donor could be found. He said his treatment is going better than expected and his blood counts are doing really well.

"The biggest thing for me when I was going through my treatment and things was just staying positive," he said.

"The minute you start to get negative about things, it's almost like you've given up and let it defeat you."

LISTEN: Jarrod Lyle speaks with Neil Mitchell:

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Blog comments Your Say

  • Thiknnig like that is really impressive

    Mitchell Tuesday 4 December, 2012 - 4:24 PM

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