By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
In a moving interview with Italian outlet Corriere della Sera, Achille Polonara offered a raw account of his battle with myeloid leukemia and the psychological shadows that accompanied his recovery.
The 34-year-old Italian power forward, diagnosed in June, revealed that his long physical ordeal is finally nearing its end. Only one surgical hurdle remains on Monday before he can resume his professional basketball career. “They’re going to close a hole in my heart with a device called an ‘umbrella,'” Polonara explained. “After everything I’ve been through, this is a walk in the park.”
Despite surviving a life-threatening illness and a ten-day coma, Polonara remains remarkably stoic. “To many, it seems I did something extraordinary,” he noted, “but I simply fell asleep and woke up. I don’t see anything heroic in that.”
However, his humility masks a profound psychological toll. He candidly described moments of total despair during his hospitalization, when he contemplated ending his life. “I thought, enough, I’m going to throw myself out the window,” he recalled. “I felt cornered, as if ten beasts were holding me down. I just wanted to disappear.”
The turning point came through the unwavering support of his wife, Erika, and the thought of his children. “It wouldn’t be fair for them to grow up thinking their father didn’t at least try,” he mentioned.
The battle has also fundamentally altered his worldview, particularly his faith. “I used to be a great believer. Now, I can’t. My friends say I was blessed, but I think if it’s the same power that made me sick? Why me, someone who always prayed?” he shared.
Now signed with Dinamo Banco di Sardegna Sassari in Italy’s LBA UnipolSai, the Ancona native has targeted a competitive return for late March.