The match of my life
{mb_sdlf_jugador_SDLF-jugador_frase-destacada}When Danny got hit with a ball, he could never of imagined that from that hit he would be diagnosed with what nobody wants to hear: testicular cancer.
When Danny got hit by a ball during a clash in the Segunda Catalana Division, he never imagined that it was going to be anything more than that. The pain went away within a few minutes, but in the days that followed it came back. It started to get worrying and medical tests diagnosed what nobody wants to hear: testicular cancer.
Danny Flores Silva hadn’t even been in Barcelona for 2 months. The Honduran winger arrived in January 2016 to join Fundación Marcet’s High Performance Academy and make his dreams come true by becoming a professional footballer. He wanted to learn, progress and unravel his talent. He was ready to convince his coaches and show off in front of his rivals. Although he never knew that he would go up against one of worst.
Testicular cancer is one of the most common types of cancer for men between the ages of 15-35. Footballers like Arjen Robben, José Francisco Molina and Lubo Penev have all battled with it and won. It’s a tumor with a very positive prognosis and with a recovery rate higher than 95%, if the cancer is detected in its earlier stages.
Hard months
“In this case, the hit that Danny received was rather lucky, as we were able to diagnose the cancer and start the treatment at the midway stage of the tumor”. Isaac Núñez tells us, a doctor at the Instituto Oncológico Teknon in Barcelona where the young Honduran footballer got treated. “If the incident hadn’t of happened, the cells would have continued to grow without him realising”.
Luck or destiny made football, Danny’s biggest passion, help him out with one of the most delicate moments in his life. After getting hit with the ball came some very hard months, with operations and long chemotherapy sessions, that ended in November of the same year. A journey that Fundación Marcet decided to film with the intention of showing values from a story of personal triumph through football.
Now that the worst is over, Danny has his whole future in front of him. “A few months before I saw myself healthy and within a question of seconds my life changed. I found myself alone in bed asking “Why me?” “Why?”. But with time I started to realise that what happened to me was a blessing, because it’s going to allow me to make a change in my life and be able to help those who suffer from the same but have no one to motivate them. I see the future much clearer now. If I was able to fight this illness, nothing can stop me in achieving my goals”.
.