Former Pro Soccer Player Tsubasa Endo Overcomes Leukemia, Starts New Life in Italy
Tsubasa Endo, a 32-year-old former professional soccer player from Chiba Prefecture, Japan, shares his journey of overcoming acute undifferentiated leukemia. In 2022, while playing for the Los Angeles Galaxy's second team in the USA, Endo experienced severe physical symptoms initially mistaken for heatstroke. Medical tests revealed a cancer diagnosis, halting his promising career that included stints in Canada and Australia after being drafted from an American university. Endo returned to Japan for treatment, enduring a grueling process involving strong anti-cancer drugs and a bone marrow transplant. He faced significant challenges, including isolation due to low immunity and hazy memories of the hospitalization period. Despite the shock and anxiety of facing mortality at age 29, Endo gradually accepted his reality, focusing on the importance of how he spends his present time. After successfully battling the disease, he has moved to Italy to pursue a new path in life, transitioning from a high-profile athlete expected to be the next generation of Japanese soccer to a survivor finding renewed purpose abroad.
Wire timeline
Former Pro Soccer Player Tsubasa Endo Overcomes Leukemia, Starts New Life in Italy
Tsubasa Endo, a 32-year-old former professional soccer player from Chiba Prefecture, Japan, shares his journey of overcoming acute undifferentiated leukemia. In 2022, while playing for the Los Angeles Galaxy's second team in the USA, Endo experienced severe physical symptoms initially mistaken for heatstroke. Medical tests revealed a cancer diagnosis, halting his promising career that included stints in Canada and Australia after being drafted from an American university. Endo returned to Japan for treatment, enduring a grueling process involving strong anti-cancer drugs and a bone marrow transplant. He faced significant challenges, including isolation due to low immunity and hazy memories of the hospitalization period. Despite the shock and anxiety of facing mortality at age 29, Endo gradually accepted his reality, focusing on the importance of how he spends his present time. After successfully battling the disease, he has moved to Italy to pursue a new path in life, transitioning from a high-profile athlete expected to be the next generation of Japanese soccer to a survivor finding renewed purpose abroad.
asahi