Apr 9, 2016; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Revolution forward Charlie Davies (9) controls the ball during the second half against the Toronto FC at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Charlie Davies’ biggest wins have come off the pitch
Charlie Davies is a great soccer player, but his strength off the field is on another level.
How do you describe soccer player Charlie Davies? He was once an ultra promising forward for the USMNT, now a veteran goal scorer for the New England Revolution. He has a great smile, pleasant demeanor, and is a fan favorite. Off the field, Charlie Davies can only be described as a miracle, and now, a cancer survivor.
Back when Davies was just beginning to blossom as a possible international star, it was nearly all taken away from him. This is the most well-known part of Davies’ journey. It involved a horrific car accident, which he was a passenger in. It resulted in a loss of life for the young lady driving, and it left Davies with a laundry list of injuries: a lacerated bladder, fractured tibia and femur, a fractured elbow, facial fractures, and bleeding on the brain.
It wasn’t certain Davies would survive, live a normal life, forget about playing professional soccer again. But, he did. Davies worked his way back, relentlessly attacking rehab, and after bouncing around a bit overseas, ended up with New England Revolution, an hour or so from where he grew up in New Hampshire. For the Revs, Charlie Davies isn’t just a gimmick, or a charity case. He is a legit attacking player, that is as hardworking, as he is talented.
Davies faced another unexpected test in his personal life earlier this year. His wife gave birth to twin boys in March, three months premature. What should have been an exciting life event this summer, turned into a more complicated situation in the spring, as the babies were kept at the hospital for weeks to be monitored and kept healthy. Rhys and Dakota have since been sent home, and are doing well with Daddy Davies and his wife, Nina.
The most recent battle was announced after victory had already been achieved. This spring and summer, Charlie Davies has defeated cancer. Declared in remission of his diagnosed liposarcoma, a rare soft tissue cancer, Davies hasn’t seen game action since April 27th. Even without it being on the pitch, this was the biggest win for Major League Soccer in the 2016 season.
As the saying goes, everyone knows someone who has battled, or is battling cancer. It is a horrible disease, and an evil that will hopefully someday soon, be eliminated from our lives.
Seeing victories like this over cancer provide hope for those currently fighting, and for Charlie Davies, it’s another time he’s shown the world his unfathomable fighting spirit.
