Former Wolves boss Graham Hawkins tells of cancer struggle
Former Wolves boss Graham Hawkins, who helped the football club rise into the old First Division 30 years ago, today told how his battle against cancer has transformed his life and left him determined to make the most of every day with his family and friends.
The former defender, who went on to become manager of the club in the early 1980s, was diagnosed with low grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma – a kind of leukaemia – in 2009, and despite extensive chemotherapy doctors have warned him the likelihood is that it will return one day.
But Mr Hawkins said he refuses to let the fear get the best of him.
"When I was first diagnosed, it was awful. It was two days of hell as I tried to come to terms with it," said the 66-year-old, who lives on the border of Staffordshire and Shropshire, near Market Drayton.
"The cancer I have is not a nice cancer. The doctor sat me down and said 'we cannot beat it, but we can control it for a while'. And I realised I could live with that. It gives you hope."
He tells how he eats around 10 portions of fruit and veg a day, does not drink nearly as much wine and exercises a lot more.
He has now started to plough his efforts into fundraising for the two hospitals closest to his heart – the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, where he was treated, and Wolverhampton's New Cross Hospital, where his granddaughters were born.
The latest in a series of events will be held this week, with a star-studded charity dinner at Molineux on Thursday featuring Wolves heroes Dave Wagstaff, Mike Bailey and Geoff Palmer.
For tickets, call Mr Hawkins on 07760 993866.
