Denise Fox's hopes for survival in EastEnders are crushed when Darnell Larson Jnr reveals he is not a close enough stem cell match, leaving her devastated and questioning whether to continue treatment.
Denise (Diane Parish) has been battling acute myeloid leukaemia, a diagnosis that robbed her of her strength, independence and hair due to chemotherapy. Forced to spend days isolated in hospital, the woman who was all about family never felt more separate. The cancer became so aggressive that treatment was not effective, and Denise became so frail that she had to be placed in a medically induced coma. There was only one option left – a stem cell transplant.
A new hope in Darnell
Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) and Kim Fox (Tameka Empson) began a mission to scour Walford and the internet for a donor. The old 'long-lost brother' soap trope often brings nothing but trouble, but for Denise, it brought new hope. The obstacle was Darnell himself. He opened up to Denise about how he had lost his wife due to illness, which traumatised him deeply. As a result, he can't stand to be in hospitals – not an ideal quality in a potential donor.
Enter Darnell's daughter, Grace (Krysstina Frempong). The latest addition to Denise's extended family, she was able to talk her father round and change his mind about getting tested. A provisional stem cell match was found, and the burning question was whether Darnell would be that match.
Devastating news
Awaiting Darnell's stem cell results, Denise distracts herself by playing matchmaker with Amy Mitchell (Ellie Dadd) and Denzel Fox-Danes (Jaden Ladega). Then the news comes in – and any hope Denise had goes up in flames when Darnell reveals he's not a close enough match.
Denise is devastated. Distraught and struggling to cope with the strain of the treatment, Denise pours her heart out to Chelsea and Kim. Later, Denise is encouraged by Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) to open up to Jack about what she's going through. Instead, Denise comes to a far more grim, heartbreaking conclusion: she questions whether she should continue treatment at all.
