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England’s most capped footballer, Fara Williams, diagnosed with kidney condition

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Reading midfielder and England’s most-capped player Fara Williams has revealed she was diagnosed with a kidney condition in March 2020.

The 37-year-old made the disclosure on Wednesday via a post to her 39.9k followers on her verified Instagram handle.

Williams was forced to undergo a kidney biopsy after said that after having thigh surgery in March last year which led to swelling in her hands, legs and face during the final stages of her rehabilitation before she was diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome.

“In March 2020, I had an operation to reattach the muscle & tendons of my thigh to the bone. In my final stage of rehab, I noticed swelling in my legs, hands & face. My first thought was that it was some sort of allergy, however, the following day I was admitted to A & E & underwent many tests, including a kidney biopsy. The result of the biopsy showed that I had a kidney condition called Nephrotic Syndrome,” she said.

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Speaking further, the former Liverpool player opened up on her struggles while receiving treatment and getting back to football.

“To treat this condition, I was put on the highest possible dose of steroids. This, of course, did not come without noticeable side effects. I gained an excessive amount of weight & this was noticeable in both my physical appearance and performances on the pitch. I was fully cleared to play football on this medication by the Anti-doping Authority, together with my having regular blood & urine tests.

“My consultant had never encountered someone within sport with this condition, until assisting me with my treatment, so it has been difficult to know what to do for the best – both for myself and Reading WFC.

 

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A post shared by Fara Williams MBE (@fara44)

“I’ve been conscious of not wanting my teammates or the fans to think that I was unfit or not trying my absolute hardest in training sessions or during matches, particularly as, the reason was the condition and side effects of my medication. Upon reflection, I now feel I should have waited until I was further into recovery before I continued to play football.

“It is important to be open & honest about the challenges I have faced, with both my mental & physical well-being, over recent months and especially during lockdown, which has been challenging for us all.

“It is also important to speak out and support each other now more than ever and I would encourage anyone experiencing similar difficulties, be it health or personal matters, to seek support.

“I would like to thank my consultant and the medical and physio team at Reading, who have been instrumental in ensuring that I have received the right care, as well as my agents at New Era, my partner, family & friends for their unconditional emotional support. I now look forward to getting back on the pitch in good health.”

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