Denise Fox (Diane Parish) has vowed to stay alive as she begins treatment for acute myeloid leukaemia in emotional EastEnders scenes. The hairdresser, diagnosed with the aggressive blood cancer, promised her family she would be 'around for a long time'.
Denise's Diagnosis and Delay
After experiencing persistent tiredness, Denise underwent a bone marrow aspirate test and learned she had AML, a form of blood cancer requiring urgent treatment. Despite the urgency, she delayed treatment after her grandson Jordan was hit by a car, wanting to support daughter Chelsea (Zaraah Abrahams). However, after Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) had Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) urge her to start, Denise broke down in the Vic and revealed her diagnosis to loved ones.
Family Support and Preparations
In Tuesday's episode, Denise explained to the children that she would be in hospital for a month and had made a rota for them to help at home. When Raymond asked if she would die, Denise reassured him she would be around for a long time. Kim Fox (Tameka Empson) vowed to support her and, if the worst happens, step up as a mother to her kids. Kim helped Denise remove her weave before heading to the hospital.
The next morning, Denise was delighted to see Libby (Belinda Owusu), who returned to Walford upon learning of the diagnosis. Denise then went to hospital to start chemotherapy, with her consultant explaining the aggressive treatment gives the best chance of survival. As treatment began, Denise looked at a drawing from Raymond of the whole family, with Jack by her side.
EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One or streams from 6am on BBC iPlayer.
