NEW ZEALAND and Brighton defender Rebekah Stott has bravely spoken out about her cancer diagnosis and how it inspired her World Cup dream.
The 30-year-old, who played in today’s opening game of the World Cup, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in March 2021, just a few months after joining Brighton in the Women’s Super League.
GettyStott made history with New Zealand on Thursday[/caption]
GettyThe defender is a key member of the New Zealand squad[/caption]
INSTAGRAM @beatitbystottyStott kept fans updated on her progress through her blog[/caption]
But just five months later, following several rounds of gruelling treatment, she entered complete remission.
In an episode of the Discovery+ documentary, ‘World at Their Feet’, Stott opened up about her diagnosis and her incredible journey back into football.
“Obviously, I came to Brighton all excited and ready to go,” she said.
“I had a little bit of a lump on my neck. It kept growing and getting bigger and bigger. I had surgery, I had a needle biopsy.
“Finally, after about three or four months, we got the diagnosis that I had Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
“‘Why did this happen to me?’, has definitely gone through my head a lot, but I know that I will never know the answer to that.
“‘Yes, this sucks, but I have a good prognosis. In a c**p situation, I am lucky’.
“It was all quite rushed. I was straight in for my first day of chemo. The first cycle was bad. I was throwing up everywhere.
“And then bone aches, headaches, dizziness, mouth ulcers, they were probably one of the worst because you were trying to eat, and it would just be impossible.”
Despite the difficult circumstances she endured, Stott remained upbeat as she kept fans updated through social media and her blog, ‘Beat It by Stotty‘.
The defender also remained determined to return to football and used that, along with family and friends, to inspire her through months of treatment.
She added: “My family was great. My friends were really there for me. I had a lot of people looking after me.
“The thought of getting back to football when I finished my cancer treatment was always there and that was always my goal, to get back on the field, so that was a huge motivation for me.”
In July 2021, just a matter of months after being diagnosed, the New Zealand star announced that she was in complete remission.
In a blog post, she wrote: “This is the blog I’ve been hanging out to write, I’m officially in COMPLETE REMISSION. It’s surreal and I’m still not quite sure how to describe the feeling, but I’m filled with so much happiness and I’m so appreciative to everyone who has helped me along the way.”
Within just a few months of entering remission, Stott re-joined Melbourne City before signing a two-year deal with Brighton in 2022.
And her World Cup dream came true last month when she was named in Jitka Klimkova’s 23-woman New Zealand squad.
Stott made history with New Zealand on the opening day of the tournament this week, helping the country to it’s first-ever World Cup win.
The Football Ferns earned a shock 1-0 win over Norway, who are ranked 12th in the world by FIFA.
Hannah Wilkinson broke the deadlock just after half time following an excellent passage of team play.
Ria Percival had the opportunity to double New Zealand’s lead late in the game, but her penalty rattled the crossbar.
GettyNew Zealand beat Norway 1-0 in the opening game of the World Cup[/caption]
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