How much can a parent take? You’d think Jody Craddock and his wife Shelley had taken enough when their baby son died while Jody was a Sunderland player. Now another of their children, Toby, just two-and-a-half years old, has been diagnosed as suffering from lymphoblastic leukaemia.
Jody did a Who are You? interview here – https://safc.blog/2010/05/who-are-you-were-wolves-and-im-jody-craddock – before a Wolves v SAFC game a couple of seasons ago.
If that seems untypical for footballers, guided by agents and controlled by clubs as the game becomes ever more corporate, it did not surprise us when he agreed.
He is a great guy by all reliable accounts and Salut! Sunderland’s thoughts are with him and Shelley, and above all with Toby, as the fight against this rotten but curable disease proceeds.
Here is how our friends at the SAFC Supporters’ Association’s London and SE branch circulated the distressing news:
We feel sure many members will be saddened to learn of the latest news which has befallen Jody Craddock and his family, remembering what a popular player he was for us and how he tragically lost his baby son whilst at Sunderland.
Now his youngest two-and-a-half-year-old son, Toby, has been diagnosed with lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and has started a lengthy process of treatment at Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
ALL is the most common cancer diagnosed in children but, with improvements in diagnosis and treatment, the overall cure rate is more than 80 per cent. Toby is in the best possible hands but is beginning a long and difficult battle towards recovery. The stress on the family throughout that period is almost unimaginable.
A letter of support to Jody, his wife Shelley and their three boys has been sent on behalf of the London Branch.
I believe that says it all but do not be deterred from adding your own best wishes …
Colin Randall
I hope we can show our support at Fulham on Sunday. Don’t know what number he wears for Wolves but a minutes applause at that time would seem appropriate.
Just looked and he wears number 6. So a minutes applause/chanting at minute 6 would be appropriate. Does anyone have any contact at Wolves to coordinate this?
Jody Craddock is not your typical English footballer. He doesn’t seem to think the world owes him a living, nor is he one-dimensional. Money is not the central point of his life. If tragedies like this were to befall any English footballer I’d put my money on Jody Craddock being one of those who would be best able to cope. He seems to have married the right person too. All three of them WILL survive but they may need periodic boosts of strength from others to help.
One of my bairns is 25 today, the thought of him or his brother not being around is difficult to comprehend. I wish Toby a complete recovery and my thoughts go out to Jody and his wife.
Absolutely Bill. It makes me shudder to think what this poor lad and his wife are going through. Having suffered the agony of losing a child already, they know a pain that none of us ever want to endure. All you can ever do is love your bairns Bill.
Life can be hard and just downright unfair as this terrible news illustrates. It’s dreadful.
The heart of anyone who has been a parent will surely go out to Jody and his wife and famlly. Mine most certainly does. Let’s just hope this little boy is soon on the mend and makes a complete recovery in double quick time.
They were my first thoughts Jeremy, such sad news again for Jody and his family. Here’s hoping Toby pulls through for them, get well soon young’un.
Once again, a tragic situation puts the importance of football into perspective. There’s life-and-death and then there’s Life and Death.
There are probably no words right now that would bring much comfort to Jody Craddock and his family. But let’s hope that the football world’s collective thoughts for them push that 80 per cent toward 100 per cent for Toby.