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Cameron Green sparks outpouring of support as shock revelation stuns cricket world

The Aussie all-rounder has opened up on a chronic disease that had doctors thinking he wouldn't live past age 12.

sam goodwin
Sports Editor
·5-min read
Cameron Green and his girlfriend.
Cameron Green's parents and girlfriend (pictured) have helped him manage the condition. Image: Channel 7/Getty

Cameron Green has stunned the cricket world after revealing he has been battling a chronic kidney condition since he was born. The all-rounder, who was left out of Australia's XI for the first Test against Pakistan in Perth, opened up on his condition in an interview with Channel 7 on Thursday.

The 24-year-old revealed he has had kidney disease since before he was born, and doctors told his parents that he might not live past age 12. Green's kidney disease is at stage two (out of five) and means his kidneys don't filter blood properly.

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Green had kept the condition under wraps before now, with former Australia coach Justin Langer revealing even he didn't know. The West Australian recently revealed his plight to Test teammates after suffering a series of cramping episodes related to his kidney function during a game in Cairns.

"It just got picked up during ultrasounds," Green told Channel 7 when asked about the condition. "Chronic kidney disease is basically a progressive disease of your kidney's health function.

Cameron Green, pictured here in action for Australia in the Ashes in 2022.
Cameron Green in action for Australia in the Ashes in 2022. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

"Unfortunately, mine doesn't filter the blood as well as other kidneys. They are about six per cent at the moment, which is stage two.

"With chronic kidney disease there are five stages, with stage one being the least severe and stage five being transplant or dialysis, and fortunately enough I am stage two. But if you don't look after them enough, it easily goes back down because kidneys can't get better. It's irreversible.

"Growing up, I can remember being in the hospital every week getting ultrasounds on my kidneys, just checking the size and the health of them. My parents got told when I was younger I could be very small, which is pretty funny to look back on now (considering he's 198cm tall). I consider myself very lucky that I am not affected as much physically by chronic kidney disease as other people that have the same thing."

Green's father Gary said doctors told them the prognosis "wasn't great" when he was born. "There were life expectancy issues that he might not expect to live past 12 years of age," Gary said. Mother Bee Tracey said: "They picked up that he had a thickening of his bladder and they said it was a urethral valve blockage. That the urine just back-flows to the kidneys and they wouldn't develop properly."

Cameron Green's dietician girlfriend perfectly placed to help

Green said he has to be careful with diet and can't consume too much protein or sodium. But girlfriend Emily Greenwood is a dietician and has been helping him along the way.

"Luckily I'm dating a dietitian, someone who can help me out with my meals that I need to look after myself," he said. "When I was growing up, my mum cooked beautiful meals, kidney-friendly. At the time I was upset I was eating all these healthy meals, but over time I was grateful that we did." Redwood told Channel 7: "We covered this at uni but I definitely have a special interest in it now."

Even if he does things the right way, Green can still suffer cramps depending on outside conditions. “There was definitely one time up in Cairns, playing Australia versus New Zealand, I think it was pretty well documented that I had a pretty long day of bowling and a pretty long bat as well, and then had a cramping episode,” he said of the ODI game in 2022.

“It took me a long time to realise that it was probably my kidney function that was affecting my cramping. I always thought I didn’t drink enough, didn’t eat enough, didn’t look after myself during the game as well as I could have, but I think over time I realised that I was doing absolutely everything right, but I was still cramping, unfortunately.”

Green said he was speaking out about his condition in an attempt to bring awareness to it and help others. Cricket fans and commentators sent their well-wishes to the young Aussie after his staggering revelation.

with AAP

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