Kyra Cooney-Cross has returned home to Australia after revealing that her mother has been diagnosed with stage-four cancer.
The Arsenal and Matildas midfielder shared the news on Instagram, posting photographs of herself alongside her mother, Jess, in hospital and confirming she had flown back to Queensland to be with her family.
“A few days ago, our world changed forever,” Cooney-Cross wrote. “My amazing mum, Jess, has been diagnosed with Stage 4 cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer). It’s a rare and aggressive cancer, and there is no cure.”
The 23-year-old said she had returned home to be with her mother and sisters “as we navigate what comes next”, describing the impact of the diagnosis on her family.
“We are still in shock and learning how to sit with the weight of this news,” she wrote. “My mum is my hero, my best friend, my everything, and the person who has shaped every part of who I am.
“She is the reason I am where I am today. Her strength, love and belief in me has carried me through everything. Trying to put into words what she means to me feels impossible.”
Her family have also set up a GoFundMe page to help support her mother and stepfather during treatment. The page states that the cancer has “metastasised (spread) to her liver and gall bladder” and describes the disease as “very rare and aggressive”, adding that chemotherapy is hoped to offer more time.
Arsenal have not placed a timescale on Cooney-Cross’s return, with the priority understood to be supporting the player during a difficult period for her and her family.
Ahead of Arsenal’s game against Manchester United on Saturday, a number of fans marched to show their support while Arsenal players warmed up in shirts supporting the family.
The crowd also applauded for a minute on 32 minutes.