EastEnders' Denise Fox faces 'no match' as stem cell hope fades
Time is running out for Walford icon Denise Fox as she desperately needs a stem cell transplant, and the latest twist in her battle with acute myeloid leukaemia has left viewers fearing the worst.
The BBC One soap has seen Denise (Diane Parish) receive various treatments for the disease after her diagnosis earlier this year, with much of her hope now resting on finding a compatible stem cell donor. The search revealed a paternal half-brother she had never met, Darnell Larson Jr. (Christopher Colquhoun), whom she has now met alongside his daughter, Grace (Krysstina Frempong).
Why did Darnell's test fail to provide a match?
Initially reluctant to take part in testing due to his late wife's death in the NHS's historical infected blood scandal, Darnell agreed after persuasion from Grace. But the news was not what Denise had prayed for. He was not a close enough match.
Denise and her spouse, Jack Branning (Scott Maslen), received the devastating update, leaving Denise shattered and facing another round of chemotherapy, which so far has not been as successful as hoped.
What happened when Amy discovered the news?
Amy Mitchell (Ellie Dadd) accidentally overheard the latest update and was upset she had not been informed that Darnell is not a match for her stepmother. A heated confrontation followed.
“You don't need to know, I'm at the end of my rope, alright,” Denise told Amy. “I can't even walk down the high street, and right here, right now, today I've had it. I've run out of hope, I can't taste anything, I can't sleep, everything hurts, and all there is is another round of chemo, and another round of chemo, and does it look like it's making me any better?”
She added, crying: “There is no match Amy. It ain't my choice that is the truth, and I ain't got the strength to deal with how that is making everyone else feel.”
Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden), the father of Denise's young son Raymond, later visited her, encouraging her to do what was right for herself but also to seek treatment. He wondered whether his late mother Peggy Mitchell (Barbara Windsor) persisting with treatment might have bought her more time with her family. However, there were more worrying scenes as Denise later collapsed in the street and was rushed to hospital by Jack.
Could Grace Larson be Denise's stem cell donor?
As Denise's future hangs in the balance, EastEnders viewers are certain Grace Larson will save her life and be a stem cell match. Grace is the 16-year-old daughter of Darnell, making Denise her half-auntie. Yet fans noted she needs to turn 17 before she can agree to help. According to the NHS, a person must be aged between 17 and 40 to join the stem cell registry.
Taking to Reddit, one EastEnders viewer asked: “Who do you think will be Denise's donor match?”, before adding: “Going by how predictable EastEnders is at times, I'm thinking it's Grace, Darnell's daughter. To go to the trouble of introducing him and his daughter & then implying he could be a match but to fail at the first step, it seems most likely to me.”
A second suggested: “I think it will be Grace because they've mentioned a couple of times that she's 16 i.e. too young to donate while all the Darnell stuff was happening, but imminently becoming 17, the exact minimum age for a donor according to what was said on the show.”
A third chimed in: “This. Grace easily or Darnell lied”, while another predicted: “Think it will be the brothers daughter.”
“Either Grace or Denise's bio dad. But I'm leaning towards Grace. They'll have to wait until she turns 17, though,” pointed out another.