UK NEWS
HOW EDDIE THE EAGLE SAVED HIS SISTER'S LIFE
Eddie 'the eagle' Edwards
By Camilla Tominey
HE may have been the laughing stock of the 1988 Olympics but Eddie ‘the Eagle’ Edwards has shown he is a champion at heart by becoming a bone marrow donor to save his sister’s life.
The ski-jumper, who came last in the skiing contest at Calgary, rushed to the aid of sister Liz Edwards after she was diagnosed with cancer.
Doctors ran a series of tests that revealed Eddie was the only family member to be a perfect match for a bone marrow transplant.
Father-of-two Eddie, 43, from Stroud, Gloucestershire, said he did not think twice before answering the call to save Liz, 40, a teacher, who has non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
Both Eddie and his sister are now recovering from the procedure, which involved him having an operation to remove the bone marrow from his bloodstream.
Non-Hodgkins lymphoma is the sixth commonest cancer in the UK, with more than 9,000 diagnoses each year.
Patients need bone marrow transplants to increase their red and white blood counts to prevent anaemia and fight infection.
Eddie’s wife Samantha, who gave birth to their second “Eaglet”, baby Honey May, three months ago, hopes Eddie’s selfless devotion to his sister will encourage others to donate bone marrow.
She said: “Elizabeth was diagnosed just over a year ago. They tested Eddie and his brother and he was the closest match.
“For him, there was never an issue about whether he should do it or not.
“We want to highlight the ongoing need for donors, so that some good can come from it.” Her sister-in-law is now recovering in Bristol Children’s Hospital, which has a specialist bone marrow transplant unit.
“She has been there for five weeks, living in isolation,” said Samantha. “It has been very hard for her not to see her daughter Tegan, who’s only four.”
But the family are now hopeful she will soon recover and return home thanks to the life-saving transplant.
“Eddie has always been such a positive person – we know that from what he did in the Olympics – and we are all very optimistic about Elizabeth now,” said Samantha.
Eddie was the first competitor to represent Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Olympic ski-jumping.
He was working for a plasterer when he qualified for the 1988 winter Olympics having represented Britain at the 1987 World Championships and was ranked 55th in the world.
Eddie was handicapped from the start by his weight. At almost 13st (82kg), he was more than 20lb (9kg) heavier than the next heaviest competitor.
He was also hampered by a lack of financial support and his training had to be entirely self-funded.
He finished last in both the 70m and 90m events but did set a British record of 73.5m in one of his Calgary jumps.
Another problem was that he was very long-sighted, requiring him to wear his glasses at all times, even though when skiing they fogged to such an extent that he could not see. He was also afraid of heights.
However, his lack of success made him a hero across the globe as the worse he did in the competition, the more popular he became.
Video 
HOW EDDIE THE EAGLE SAVED HIS SISTER'S LIFE
11.06.07, 8:01pm
This story shows the true side of a person, he was never a laughing stock in my opinion, it took true guts to do that sport, ok he came last but someone has to! I am not sure but I think he still holds the British record or at least it stood for a long time after his Olympics. He is a true British hero.
• Posted by: JimCardiff01 • Report Comment
EDDIE STRIKES AGAIN.
11.06.07, 9:10am
This is nothing to do with what he has just done – but good on him!
With the Olympics recently being in the headlines I would just like to say that this man is what I class as the true spirit of the Olympics.
OK, he was not a ‘world class’ athlete but he went out to represent this country and did something that very few Brits have done – or for that matter have been able to do.
I wonder how he would have done, and what we would be able to do now, in many Olympic sporting events if he/we had the financial backing and sponsorship those athletes in most other countries receive?
• Posted by: Cynical_sid • Report Comment
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