Denise Fox (Diane Parish) has vowed that she will be 'around for a long time' after her loved ones learned of her diagnosis with acute myeloid leukaemia in Tuesday's (June 16) episode of EastEnders, now available on BBC iPlayer and airing at 7:30pm.
The hairdresser had been worried about her health after experiencing repeated bouts of tiredness, leading her to visit the doctors. On the day of Ross Marshall (Alex Walkinshaw) and Vicki Fowler's (Alice Haig) wedding, she was called to the hospital for a bone marrow aspirate test and discovered she had AML, an aggressive form of blood cancer requiring urgent treatment.
The news devastated Denise, but she delayed starting treatment after her grandson Jordan was hit by a car, wanting to support Chelsea (Zaraah Abrahams). However, after Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) had Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) urge her to begin treatment, Denise broke down in the Vic earlier this week and revealed her diagnosis to her family.
In emotional scenes, Denise, with Jack's help, explained to the children that she would be in hospital for a month once treatment began, showing them a rota she had made for them to help around the house. Raymond asked if she was 'going to die', and Denise quickly reassured him that she would be around for a long time.
Kim Fox (Tameka Empson) vowed to support her sister, offering to step up as a mother to her kids if the worst happens. In a touching moment, Kim helped Denise remove her weave before heading to the hospital. The next morning, Denise was delighted to see Libby (Belinda Owusu), who had returned to Walford upon learning of her mother's diagnosis.
Denise then went to the hospital to start treatment, with her consultant explaining the aggressive nature of the chemotherapy, which offers the best chance of survival. As the treatment began, Denise looked at a picture Raymond had drawn of the whole family, with Jack by her side, ready to support her through this emotional chapter.
