Denise Fox (Diane Parish) suffers a shock collapse in EastEnders as her battle against acute myeloid leukaemia takes a tragic turn. The matriarch of the Fox family has been fighting the disease since her diagnosis earlier this year, but the treatment has left her weak and frail, causing her hair to fall out and separating her from loved ones.
The cancer proved resistant to treatment, forcing Denise to be placed in a medically induced coma. Her last hope was a stem cell transplant, prompting her partner Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) and sister Kim Fox (Tameka Empson) to search for a matching donor. Hope arrived in the form of Denise's long-lost half-brother Darnell (Christopher Colquhoun), whom Kim found on an ancestry site. Jack urged Darnell to get tested, but he initially refused, harbouring a deep-seated fear of hospitals after losing his wife.
Darnell's change of heart
Darnell's mind was changed when his daughter Grace (Krysstina Frempong) arrived and convinced him to take the swab test to see if he could save his sister's life. The good news continued when Denise recently learned that a provisional stem cell match had been found.
Denise now awaits Darnell's stem cell results and distracts herself by playing matchmaker with Amy Mitchell (Ellie Dadd) and Denzel Fox-Danes (Jaden Ladega). However, she soon starts feeling worse due to the treatment and confides her health concerns in her daughter Chelsea Fox (Zaraah Abrahams) and Kim.
Questioning treatment
Encouraged by Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) to open up to Jack, Denise instead finds herself questioning whether she should continue treatment. Later, Kim continues probing Amy about her mystery boyfriend, but their conversation is interrupted when Denise feels faint and collapses.
Whether Darnell will be the one to save Denise, and whether it will be too late for the Walford legend, will be revealed in upcoming episodes of EastEnders.
