Denise Fox (Diane Parish) faces a new setback in EastEnders next week as doctors reveal her chemotherapy isn't working, leaving a stem cell transplant as the only option. The news comes after her brave battle with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), which she discovered following a GP visit prompted by severe fatigue.
Denise's health struggles continue
Denise initially delayed hospital treatment to support her daughter Chelsea (Zaraah Abrahams), whose son Jordan (Jahsaiah Williams) was injured in a car accident. After finally admitting she was unwell, she began treatment, but has since faced further heartbreak: a friend from the ward died, and her own treatment hasn't yielded the hoped-for results.
This week, Denise is caught up in chaos caused by Gray Atkins (Toby-Alexander Smith), who manipulates events from prison. Chelsea discovered the truth about Sheila Atkins (Sheila Ruskin) and banned her from seeing Jordan, prompting Sheila to plot a kidnapping.
A desperate search for a donor
Next week, Denise attempts to celebrate sister Kim Fox's (Tameka Empson) upcoming wedding to Howie Danes (Delroy Atkinson) in hospital, but it's clear she's not well enough. Later, she and husband Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) learn the chemo isn't working and a stem cell transplant is the only option.
With most family members ruled out as donors, hope lies in Kim's discovery that Denise has a half-brother, Darnell Larson Jr (Christopher Colquhoun). The question remains: will he donate to a stranger when a reunion turns desperate?
