STILL FIGHTING CANCER
For years he has counted football royalty such as Roberto Firmino and Toni Kroos as teammates and friends, but Western Sydney’s Swiss import Pirmin Schwegler is reminded every day he should never have been alive to make those connections.
Schwegler was just 16 months old when diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia and his parents were told there was a 90 per cent likelihood of him dying.
Some days, he still grapples with the question of why he was able to defy those odds, but he’s more focused on the childhood cancer foundation he established at age 19 to use his own story as an example to children facing the same battle.
Remarkably, Schwegler had no idea of what he had gone through growing up, until his parents told him when he was about 15. The shock morphed into a determination – before he was 20, his story could do some good.
“It was very big and of course a tough time,” he said of his parents’ descriptions of the gruelling treatment.
“I had good doctors, my parents were very strong – and fortunately me too. But it was a tough time. It was a big cancer and the doctors said I had about 10 per cent (chance to survive).
“The fact I am still here is very lucky, which is why I wanted to give back, and the last few years I have done that.
“It’s hard to say directly (if beating cancer drove him to succeed in football), but the truth is I’m a fighter. Of course I know what I have, how lucky I am.
“The important thing for me is to pass this (feeling) on to other parents and children in the same situation. To show that yes, you can have a normal life, a very good life, it’s possible to beat this.”
The foundation offers practical support, too, for families getting medical help far from home.
“Thirty years ago the best clinic was in Berne, far away from where I lived, and it was tough to manage this,” Schwegler said.
“This is part of the foundation, to help parents and brothers and sisters to manage.”
A veteran of more than 250 Bundesliga games, the Swiss international was picked for the 2010 World Cup. He is a fiercely positive individual who knows the depths of determination the human spirit can find.
“Talent is one part but the most important thing is to have success as a team. For that you need the best team spirit,” he said.
“We live in a good period, we have a fantastic life here and in Europe, so why should we be negative? The best way to do something is with positive vibes.”
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