EastEnders spoilers follow for Monday’s (August 24) episode, which can now be streamed on BBC iPlayer. The episode in question will air at 7:30pm.
Denise Fox (Diane Parish) was put into a medically induced coma after a devastating update from doctors amid her cancer battle.
The show legend, as viewers know, was diagnosed in June with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), a particularly aggressive form of blood cancer that requires urgent treatment.
She has undergone two rounds of intense chemotherapy thus far but sadly doctors informed her earlier this month that neither round have had the desired effect on her cancer.
A stem cell transplant is the next phase of treatment.
But while the residents of Walford gathered at the community centre to get tested to see if they’re a match, Denise faced more sad news as she was told that her infection had developed into sepsis and therefore she had to be taken into intensive care and put on a ventilator.
‘We need to put you into a medically induced coma,’ said the consultant. Denise was taken aback and asked if there was a possibility the sepsis could worsen while she was in a coma and that she might not wake up.
The doctor confirmed that there is the small possibility of such a thing but reiterated that her chance of survival is ‘greatly increased’ by the ventilation.
Denise and Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) broke down as they attempted to process the news. Jack suggested going to get the kids but Denise was adamant that she couldn’t see them. ‘I can’t say goodbye’, she said through tears.
Later, Denise was taken to intensive care where doctors prepped her for sedation. In emotional scenes, Denise asked Jack to tell all her children that she loves them and discussed practical details including where her will was stored.
Jack held her hand tightly, telling her that he loves her as doctors sedated her.
Meanwhile, back in the Square, Kim Fox (Tameka Empson) had a huge breakthrough when she discovered via an ancestry website that Denise has a half-brother who prove to be a stem cell match.
Jack and Chelsea Fox (Zaraah Abrahams) smiled through their tears when they were notified, desperately hoping that this unexpected update will be what they need to save Denise’s life.
Can they track down their long-lost relative? And if so, will he prove to be a match?
EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One or stream from 6am on BBC iPlayer.
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