Joe Thompson’s household Chantelle, Lula and Athena are making ready to mark the one 12 months anniversary of his loss of life from most cancers. Granada Reports Sports Correspondent Mike Hall spoke to the household solely.
The household of footballing hero Joe Thompson are persevering with his legacy after his spouse Chantelle revealed she is pregnant with his child after IVF remedy utilizing frozen embryos.
Joe Thompson died in 2025 after growing most cancers for a third time – beating the sickness twice to return to the pitch and famously scoring a purpose that saved Rochdale FC from relegation in 2018.
But when the former Manchester United, Tranmere Rovers and Rochdale star was identified with Hodgkin Lymphoma for a third time, which had unfold to his lungs, he turned to fundraising, earlier than he died aged 36.
“It just means absolutely everything. I know it’s never going to replace Joe obviously. Joe’s Joe. But to be able to bring his baby into the world again is beautiful,” Chantelle stated.
She stated Joe had two visions of their household with a child boy earlier than he died.
“He actually had a vision of us sat outside with a baby boy. This was maybe six months before he passed, and he assumed that it was all of us.
“And then possibly two weeks earlier than he handed, we had been simply sat within the backyard and he simply had a realisation and was like, ‘I feel I used to be watching you with the newborn and the ladies within the backyard, not me bodily right here with you’,” Chantelle added.
Joe even gave her the name for the baby boy he predicted, and she got pregnant on her first attempt of IVF after he had died.
But, the mum-to-be does not yet know the gender of their baby, and has an email with the answer sitting unopened on her computer.
She will join her and Joe’s families in a small gathering to find out if he was right. “I hope so as a result of I’ve solely bought a boy’s title,” said Chantelle.
Chantelle is 25 weeks pregnant, and says she was sat with her daughters in Bali when she found out she would be having another baby.
Their daughter Lula said: “When it had two strains I used to be in shock, my mind went utterly clean.
“I was happy but I was just so surprised.”
Joe and Chantelle had misplaced their child Dre who sadly died simply three days earlier than he was due.
Chantelle spoke about Dre as she stated: “It means absolutely everything, and to be blessed for it to work first time.
“We’d gone by way of IVF for 3 years making an attempt to get pregnant with child Dre.
“But I just knew, I knew the timing was right, I knew Joe’s messages were right.”
Before they welcome the brand new arrival, there will likely be one other celebration of Joe’s life.
On 2 May, mates and followers will repeat his 2024 fundraising stroll – beginning at Rochdale and ending at Manchester United.
“It’s just something we want to do annually, just to celebrate Joe and remember Joe, because life does go on for everyone else as well, and I think for us it’s important that we can continue the work he did when he was here, and keep that alive,” stated Chantelle.
It will likely be one 12 months on from Joe’s loss of life on 17 April, and Chantelle say she is feeling apprehensive forward of the day.
She stated: “I try to see the positive in things. Don’t get me wrong, there is times where I do think ‘Why us? Why have the girls not their dad? Why have we gone through this?’
“…You’ve bought to additionally enable your self to be unhappy, however then additionally try to assume of the positives, and what a man he was, and all of the recollections that we had collectively, and the 13 years I’ve had with him.”
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