Former world darts champion Mark Webster has been diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer, hairy cell leukaemia. The Welsh left-hander, who claimed World Championship glory on the British Darts Organisation (BDO) circuit in 2008, has not worked at a darts event for Sky Sports since February.
Webster revealed his diagnosis during a wide-ranging interview on Darts World's YouTube channel. He discovered in January that he had the rare condition and began chemotherapy in February. Despite the serious-sounding name, Webster noted the prognosis is positive, with a 95 per cent success rate. He expects to achieve remission at some point, but his recovery has been slower than anticipated.
"My white blood counts are still not recovering, so therefore my immune system is not great at the minute, hence why I can't go back to work," Webster explained. "It's not the worst case sort of scenario, but it's just a bit frustrating for me."
Webster expressed frustration at being unable to work, as he is accustomed to a busy schedule. His last work was at the Premier League event in Newcastle on February 5. He can work in sensible environments but must avoid the typical darts event atmosphere due to his compromised immune system.
"I've got to trust the people that have been looking after me. They've been really good. I don't always get the answers I want when I go in, but I've got to trust them," he said. Webster admitted he got carried away thinking he could return for the Brighton event, but his blood counts were too low.
Despite these challenges, Webster remains hopeful for a return to work soon. "In myself I feel fine and I would love to go back to work, but they don't like the environment I work in. At the minute it's a case of doing as I'm told and being patient. It's frustrating because I like to be busy, but hopefully it won't be too much longer."
