Super League legend Micky Higham has spoken on the tough battle he faces with a stage four cancer diagnosis, and how he is fully focused on beating it. The former hooker has also announced a charity walk he will partake in to raise more money and awareness for those living with cancer.
Higham played over 450 career games across Leigh, St Helens, Wigan and Warrington in a career that spanned two decades.
After retirement, Higham bought a gym in the Leigh area, and works as a personal trainer. However in November 2022, his world came to a standstill when he found a lump on his chest that he left and eventually got bigger. He was sent for an ultrasound that found a melanoma in a lymph node in his armpit.
An operation in January 2023 followed by a year of treatment gave Higham the all-clear, but in March this year the cancer returned aggressively, and scans showed a stage four widespread metastasized cancer.
After finding what he thought was a knot in his buttock, another check a week or so later showed that it had increased to a golf ball size, forcing the 44-year-old to go and get it checked out.
“It’s been challenging, tough times,” he said, speaking to The Bench podcast. “But being a rugby player and having tough challenges both in sport and in life it’s stood me in good stead.”
Former Super League man overwhelmed by support
Higham couldn’t be any more thankful to the people closest to him, as well as The Christie charity, who have been with him every step of the way.
The former Super League man has been overwhelmed by the support shown to him from the rugby league community
When Leigh Leopards hosted Warrington Wolves in Round 20, a minutes applause took place in the ninth minute of the game as a show of support for the former hooker.
“It was touching,” he added. “I kind of didn’t realise it was going on. I think they’d tried to keep it a little bit quiet and a surprise. It got to like 8:50 and people around by me were nudging me being like ‘are you ready’ and I’m like ‘what’s going on here’ and then my ugly mush pops up on one of these [cameras], the one where I’m crying and we get relegated in the million pound game, there must be a better one than that.
“It got emotional. It was really moving. It was a lovely moment and I’m really thankful and overwhelmed.”
The rugby league family is one of the very best at supporting their own. One of the many shows of support came recently when Wakefield Trinity star Caius Faatili shaved his iconic hair for a young fan battling Leukaemia.
“In times of need, there’s no better sport, for me, that pull together,” he added. “No matter who you support, who you’ve played for. They’ve called you every name under the sun when you’re playing, and now they’re like ‘you’re a fighter, Micky, we love you’ and yeah I feel like that is why it’s the best.”
Higham’s family set up a JustGiving page to raise some funds for the family, and on Sunday 24th August he will be taking on a charity walk to help as many people affected by cancer as possible.
The link to the JustGiving page can be found here: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/emma-worrall-2
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