Michael Clarke lifts the lid on cancer 'scare' in powerful message to others
Aussie cricket great Michael Clarke has revealed skin cancer scares has him worried he wont be around for his daughter.
Michael Clarke has revealed that recent skin cancer scares have left him worried that he won't be around for his seven-year-old daughter, Kelsey Lee. The former Aussie captain opened up on his operation to remove a dangerous basal cell carcinoma from his chest, which required 27 stitches.
Clarke blames his skin cancer history on spending long hours in the sun as a cricketer, especially in the scorching sun of India, and has grave fears of leaving his daughter without a father. “It does scare me,” Clarke admitted to NewsCorp.
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“I am a dad ... I don’t want to go anywhere. The most important thing in the world is making sure I help my seven-year-old daughter (Kelsey Lee) and I guess set a good example for her. To me, making sure I am putting sunscreen on so she can see it is not just me getting her to do it, it is dad doing it as well.”
Clarke also underwent surgery in March last year to have skin cancer removed from his forehead, with that surgery coming two years after undergoing the same procedure. The cricketer-turned-commentator says he has joined the Australian Skin Cancer Foundation as a national ambassador.
“I am excited to partner with the Australian Skin Cancer Foundation to not only spread the word on skin safety but to help share the importance of sun protection, getting checked and remembering prevention is better than cure,” Clarke said in a statement.
“I know first-hand how important these factors are and I am passionate about raising awareness on this vital subject. Everyone needs to be aware of the danger of the sun all around the world, but particularly in this country. This is not just about being safe, this is about saving lives.”
Clarke has had trouble with skin cancers for more than a decade
The cricketing great was first diagnosed with skin cancer back in 2006 and has battled it several times since. In a 2014 Cancer Council advertisement, Clarke starred, telling viewers to "keep a close eye on their skin". "Aussie blokes and women need to keep a close eye on your skin, particularly look in those hard-to-see places, and familiarise yourself with your body," he said in the ad.
In 2018 he told Seven's The Morning Show that he routinely goes for check-ups every six to 12 months. Clarke also lost his grandfather to bowel cancer while his father fought Hodgkin's lymphoma and prostate cancer and underwent heart surgery earlier this year. He has urged Aussies to go for a check-up and be sun safe this summer.
“The awareness is a lot better now but because I’ve had so many cut out, I’m aware of the dangers,” he said. "Prevention is better than cure, we need people aware before they have to have them cut out.”
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