MELBOURNE, Australia -- Receiving a cancer diagnosis and undergoing treatment is a life-changing experience. It's perhaps the hardest thing that most going through it will ever undertake. And that's to say nothing of adding the extra complications of experiencing this sudden emotional and physical load amid a global pandemic.
But in February 2021, that was the situation confronting New Zealand and Brighton & Hove Albion defender Rebekah Stott.
Melbourne's Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, where she received four months of chemotherapy, was largely on lockdown given the immunocompromised patients within. Relatively new construction, the building's exterior is a striking display of glass whereas inside, it's all white walls, bright lights, and clean lines -- with a bit of wood detailing splashed around -- centred around an atrium that, when it's empty, feels very empty.
Fast forward just over two years, and Stott's world is very different; the sterility of a locked-down hospital has been replaced by the noise, crowds and chaos of a packed-out Eden Park. She has not only completed a return to football -- she did that, five months after diagnosis and mere days before she announced she was in remission -- but is also now a part of New Zealand's FIFA Women's World Cup squad, starting both of their games so far at this year's tournament.
On Sunday, the biggest game in Football Ferns history awaits: A mammoth clash with Switzerland in Dunedin, with progression from the group stages of a home World Cup on the line.
More importantly, though, she's still cancer free, receiving her two-year checkups at "Peter Mac" while most players at the World Cup were making their way Down Under or already well-ensconced in preparatory camps. Following a warm-up fixture between New Zealand and Italy days out from the tournament, Stott connected with Cecilia Salvai, who herself has experienced Hodgkin's.
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"My motivation going through chemo was to get back on the field," Stott said. "Playing in a home World Cup was the best motivation I could have had. It's super special to me to be back on the field. I just hope I can contribute and we can get out of the group."
Amid this remarkable return to football, the impact that the 30-year-old has made stretches far beyond the field. Her journey, as well as the generosity she has displayed in documenting it, has served to inspire and motivate -- in particular young people like her, who are even more keen for encouragement that a diagnosis doesn't spell the end of their hopes and dreams.
In February 2022, as she returned to the field for New Zealand in the SheBelieves Cup, Stott finally had the chance to meet U.S. fan Alison Gale, who had received her own lymphoma diagnosis shortly after Stott and followed and exchanged messages with her about their respective journeys. When Stott went on as a substitute, Gale held up a sign saying "Go Stotty!! Thanks for helping me beat Hodgkin's!!"