MY BRAIN TUMOUR BATTLE IS NOT OVER
DOMINIC MATTEO is still fighting a daily battle almost two years on from the shock brain tumour diagnosis that changed his life.
In November 2019, the ex-Liverpool, Leeds United and Scotland defender was rushed in for a seven-hour operation after a routine check-up led to a brain scan and the discovery of a large malignant mass.
Recalling those dark days, he said: “I went from working to collapsing in a heap, that quickly. I really shouldn’t be here. I was scared, I didn’t know what was going on.
“The day earlier I was working on TV and then the next day I was fighting for my life and I didn’t know why.”
That life-saving surgery was followed by the devastating news that Matteo was just one of two people in Europe with an incredibly rare form of brain cancer called anaplastic ependymoma.
And, while his short-term prospects were improved by going under the knife, his fight with the disease is far from over.
He said: “I still can’t read and write and I can’t drive – I can’t do too much at the minute.
“But it doesn’t stop me doing anything, I can still talk. It’s like being a child again but obviously having people around you who have been through it and tell you how to get past it and different ways to live your life, that helps.”
Indeed, Matteo’s struggles with cancer haven’t prevented him from forming a charity aimed at helping the less fortunate, including those suffering with similar health issues.
The idea came about as a result of meeting Dave Bolton, a brain tumour sufferer who is seven years on from a diagnosis that typically comes with a 12 to 18-month life expectancy.
A former police officer and kickboxing world champion, Bolton not only helped Matteo come to terms with his cancer fight but also inspired him to help others. Of their friendship, Matteo said: “I think we came together for a reason.
“When you meet somebody for the first time, it’s sometimes hard to get an impression straight away, but with me and Dave we connected.
“We don’t mind talking about tough situations. If we can help other people through it, that helps us.
“When they say all the facts about how long you’ve got to live, me and Dave don’t listen to them. I don’t believe in that and Dave is similar.
“We do have bad days, we all do, but we’ve got coping mechanisms now.
“We’ll never be out of treatment, me and Dave, unless some miracle cure comes about, which I believe might happen – they sorted Covid out pretty quickly didn’t they?”
The pair’s Ahead of the Game Foundation was launched last week at a golf day held at Caldy Golf Club which involved Robbie Fowler, Paul Dickov, John Aldridge and Micky Gray.
Matteo and Bolton are now hopinge to use the
£25,349.86 raised to address the fact that, despite brain tumours being the deadliest cancer in those under
40, research into their treatment remains criminally underfunded.
Matteo, 47 (right) also gets a kick out of giving back to others.
He added: “Helping people is one of my passions and always has been.
“If we can help a few people and help ourselves along the way, that’s what life’s all about.”