Cancer scare Reds legend thanks hospital for care
LIVERPOOL FC legend Mark Lawrenson has revealed his private battle with cancer and praised the treatment he received from Ormskirk Hospital.
The football pundit told followers on Twitter he had a “facial cancerous blemish” cancer removed from his face.
The Southport resident, often known as “Lawro”, revealed on Twitter that he had now learned the cancer had not spread, but talked of his nerves at waiting for the good news.
He wrote: “After 3 Months of Outstanding care at both Ormskirk & Whiston Hospitals I got the News that after 2 Operations & the Removal of my Facial Cancerous Blemish the Cancer hasn’t Spread anywhere ...Phew ...!! Waiting for the Verdict felt like a ‘SWORD OF DAMOCLES’ moment ... Thanx all.”
Writing on the BBC Sport website, he revealed that he decided to get a blemish on his face checked out thanks to an email from a TV viewer.
He said: “Their message was I needed to get rid of it, or at least get it checked out urgently.
“I was already aware of the blemish and was planning to get an appointment about it but, like a typical 60-year-old bloke, I had been putting it off rather than sorting it out.
“That email was the kick up the backside I needed. I went to get it looked at immediately, and it was cancerous so I had it whipped out straight away.
“I would urge anyone with any similar doubts about a mark on their skin not to wait, and to do the same.
“People can be very stubborn and ignorant, thinking ‘well, it is not going to happen to me’, but of course it does.”
He added: “When the viewer’s email was passed on to me, I immediately went to my medical centre to tell them and I got to see a specialist that day.
“He had a look at the blemish through the special instrument they use and said he needed to send me to Ormskirk Hospital to get it taken out.
“I had that operation at the start of June. The guy at Ormskirk who did it, a Mr Boyle, joked he was in a bit of a rush because he was going to see the Rolling Stones at Old Trafford that night, so there was no messing around.
“He was in, done, and had sewn me up in a matter of minutes and what he took out was sent away to be tested.”
The former Reds defender was later given the chance to meet the observant viewer, Dr Alan Brennan, and they appeared on BBC Breakfast together.
Mark has previously shown his support for cancer charities, becoming an ambassador for Prostate Cancer UK.
He joined Sky Sports presenter Jeff Stelling’s March for Men in aid of the charity, and in 2011 pledged to grow back his famous moustache to raise awareness of the cause.
A spokesman for Southport & Ormskirk Hospitals NHS Trust said: “We were delighted to read Mark’s fantastic comments about his experience and the care he received from the NHS.
“We’re sharing his words with all our staff.” kind