COMMONWEALTH Games gold medallist Kerryn McCann has been battling the secondary cancer in her liver since May, her manager Nic Bideau revealed yesterday.
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Bideau has not heard from the marathon runner in recent weeks, and it's believed McCann is determined to keep fighting the disease quietly. McCann's brother-in-law had called Bideau recently to inform him of her declining state.
"I knew quite a while ago she's been fighting it since May," Bideau said. "I don't know that much other than last time I spoke to her she didn't want to make a big deal out of it. It wore her out last time, and she decided she wanted to keep it quiet. She was going to get some new treatments, some new drugs.
"I said to her, 'Call me if you need help, let me know,' and then I headed to the Olympics. I know her brother-in-law, he contacted me and said, 'Kerryn's not doing that well.' I sent a couple of messages and I haven't heard back. I'm worried for her."
It was last year the champion runner revealed she was suffering from breast cancer while pregnant with her third child. McCann had surgery to remove the lump and was induced, giving birth to son Cooper on September 5. She then began a 20-week course of chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
With a newborn baby and two other children, Josie, 4, and Benton, 10, to care for, McCann valiantly endured the exhaustive treatments and also had the support of the late Jane McGrath.
The wife of Test cricketer Glenn McGrath called McCann when she heard of her diagnosis. McCann was floored by Jane's death in June. "I kept in contact with Jane after she phoned when I was diagnosed," McCann said in an interview last month.
"I really respected her strength; she was such a strong lady. We talked about our cancers, and I know hers was a bad one. She said to me, 'I'm not going anywhere.' Hearing the news [of her death], it really devastated me. It was a shock.
"I'm usually pretty gung-ho but now I'm just resting a lot more. I'm going to see a lady about meditation and yoga to try and get into different types of treatment; to try and get my energy levels back up.
"It is a long process. I've had surgery and been through chemo, now I just have to wait and see, basically. I see the doctor every three months. I know it is not over yet. I just have to keep working through it."
