Jody Gormley: Former Tyrone player has ‘no fear of dying’ after revealing terminal cancer diagnosis
Former Tyrone gaelic footballer Jody Gormley says he has “no fear of dying whatsoever” after revealing he has been diagnosed with terminal liver cancer.
Gormley was a prominent player for the Red Hands during the 1990s, helping the county win the Ulster Championship in 1995 and reach the All-Ireland final later that year.
The 53-year-old, who says doctors told him in mid-September that he has only months left to live, was managing his club Trillick as recently as last week in the Tyrone Senior Football Championship final, after which he told his players the news as they gathered in the dressing room after defeat by Errigal Ciaran.
“I have no fear of dying. No fear of dying whatsoever. I’ve felt blessed my entire life,” Gormley said on The GAA Social.
“The sadness is the people you’re leaving behind. That I’ll not get to see my son, he’s training hard with Trillick, he’s come back after a couple of years, that I’ll not get to see him play and I’ll not get to see my family grow up and mature.
“That’s not scary but sad really. That’s the reality. When you peel it all back, it’s the people close to you that you’re not going to have those experiences with. That is the genuine sadness, there’s no being tough around that, that’s the reality.”
