Brumbies star Christian Lealiifano thankful for second crack at rugby and life
AS he prepares for a season many thought beyond him, Wallaby star Christian Lealiifano, who has fought leukaemia since August 2016, reflects on “a hell of a journey”.
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FROM receiving bone marrow from his younger sister, to receiving soup from Stephen Larkham’s wife, to receiving divine intervention from God, Christian Lealiifano is thankful.
He says it a lot, with a smile, with deep emphasis in his tone.
The Wallaby star who has fought leukaemia since August 2016, helped by sister Sally who gave him bone marrow for a transplant last year, has returned as the Brumbies’ co-captain for the 2018 Super Rugby season.
His on-field return was in the last match of last season when the Canberra side was knocked out in the quarter-finals, after which he joined Irish club Ulster on a five-month deal before returning to Canberra.
Preparing for the new season ahead, a season many thought beyond the 30-year-old, Lealiifano has opened up on his ordeal.
“It was a really tough time, a hell of a journey; rollercoaster is the best way to describe it, so many ups and downs,” Lealiifano told The Daily Telegraph.
“For me it was about acknowledging each moment, positive or negative.
“The initial shock of hearing, ‘You’ve got leukaemia’ first, then the process of having chemo the first time. Each time having chemo was a step closer I felt to getting better.
“Then to have a transplant with my sister, an absolute blessing, that was a real powerful thing for our family to go through.
“Then getting back to full health and being able to play footy again was mind-blowing for me, to think where I’ve come from and be able to feel normal again is an absolute blessing.
“Gratitude is something I’ve spoken about a lot before, but I have so much more now, or a much better appreciation for it.
“Initially when I heard the diagnosis I thought the worst straight away, you start to think about mortality.
“But when you go through it, it’s absolutely just about doing everything you can to get better.”
He’s had plenty of support, too.
“My partner Luga and my son Jeremih have been incredible through that — for a young family to go through that, you wouldn’t wish it on anyone,” Lealiifano said.
“But the way they’ve handled it, to be there at every appointment, to be there at every hospital visit, to be there every step of the way without showing any stress or burden on them, they never showed me that it was tough for them, they were always positive.
“My sister gave me the gift of life again with that transplant, no words can describe how grateful I am to her.
“My mum and my siblings, for someone to go through this you underestimate the ripple effects, family, extended family, rugby family, to know you’ve impacted people and the way they’ve shown care and support has driven me and motivated me to get healthy and stay healthy.
“My Bumbies family, Stephen Larkham and his family were incredible through that time, visiting me every day they could.
“Jacqui Larkham was making me soup and visiting me in hospital. Those sorts of things I’ll never, ever forget. And people don’t see or hear about those things, but they mean so much to me in the bigger scheme of things when I look back.
“And my teammates offered me support everywhere, offered me their love and support, you’ve got to be happy to know there are so many people that are caring and rooting for you, the feeling inside me was a lot of joy to know that people were out there thinking of you.
“It’s humbling.
“And above all, God has shaped the person I am and what I’ve been through, the things I acknowledge along the way, the way my faith was tested. I’m truly thankful to God every day.
“To connect with God on a deeper level was truly powerful, and I can’t put it into words for you, it’s just something I feel myself, but I know He’s out there for me and my family.”
Lealiifano was determined from the outset to return to rugby, and is now as fit and unrestricted as he was in 2016.
“It was very humbling to hear people say they believed in me, I wanted to get through it for them,” he said.
“I had to process everything that was happening to me, and then look at it like an injury. I’ve had three shoulder reconstructions and a broken ankle, so I had that tool of being able to take a step-by-step process of what’s the next step, and understanding I was living through each moment, whether it be chemotherapy, the food I could eat, an infection, it was about ‘What’s the next best thing for me?’”
On February 24, when the Brumbies run out in Tokyo to play the Sunwolves in their season opener, the best thing for Lealiifano will also happen to be the best thing for Australian rugby.