‘I pretty much saved her life’: Why Luke Thompson had to head home
By Adrian Proszenko
August 19, 2022 — 1.05pm
Luke Thompson is grateful to Canterbury for providing a new home and then, when at his lowest ebb, allowing him to return to his former one. “It’s been a tough couple of months for me, probably the toughest of my life,” Thompson said.
Thompson’s health, and that of his mother Julie, have weighed heavily on him. The England international hasn’t played since suffering a concussion against the Dragons in round 12. The associated symptoms, including migraines and blurred vision, were so severe that he would spend days on end at home in a darkened room.
“For the first few weeks, it was pretty bad,” he said. “I had headaches and I didn’t want to go out of the house some days because my head was banging. I remember the week after the [Dragons] game, the week after we had Penrith and that was the week the doctor told me to sit out because I still had symptoms. It was a night game, the full lights were on and there was the crowd. I sat there and I couldn’t even watch the game, my head was just banging.”
With his head still throbbing, there was also an issue tearing at his heart. Thompson’s mother, still living in England, had taken a turn after struggling with a long-standing health issue. Despite suffering liver failure, to the point where she was jaundiced, Julie was reticent to get the care she needed. Thompson, fearing he may never get the chance to see his mother again, boarded a plane to the UK.
“I got a phone call from my brother back home, he said he didn’t think my mum had long left,” Thompson said. “She’s not been too well for a while, but at the age of 54 I’ve not seen that coming. She was a bit in denial with what’s going on, she was jaundiced and bright yellow. My brother couldn’t persuade her to go to the hospital. I stayed with for three nights and managed to persuade her to go to the hospital. If I hadn’t gone home, she might not be here now. She’s gotten a bit better. I went home to help her get the treatment. I pretty much saved her life. We got her the care she needed so that she’s in the best place and I could then come home and finish the season.”
Thompson can’t thank Canterbury enough for the support they have shown him throughout the twin ordeals. The club has provided all the time and medical care required for the former St Helens prop to overcome his head knocks, with the symptoms recently abating due to the combination of rest and medication. And then the chance to spend time with his mother literally proved a lifesaver.
“Her seeing me gave her a big lift,” he said. “I’m very thankful for the club supporting me through a tough period. I love the club, the fans and I want to take it back to where it belongs. This has given me extra motivation, put more fire in my belly. I love what I do, I come to training every day to better myself and be the best I can be. This gives me more fire in the belly and I want to thank the club for all of the support they have given me. It’s been a tough year and I want to pay them back with performance on the field.”
Thompson will begin repaying the club on Saturday. Named on an extended bench, he will make his long-awaited return against Parramatta in jersey No.22. One of the premier props in the Super League, the 27-year-old is keen to show what he is capable of after a luckless run that has restricted him to just 31 NRL appearances.
“I’ve had two different coaches,” he said of his time at Belmore.
“The first year there was the COVID stuff, there was no training and straight into it."
"The second year I missed nine games with suspension - I played in the Super League for nine years and didn’t miss one through suspension. That was tough."
“The year after I played every game up until round 12 and then obviously had this."
“I don’t know if it was the one head knock, I had a number of things. It was a tough start to the year. It was a build up of things."
“I got a couple of knocks in round one against Melbourne, I got one a week later, then I broke my toe and then got that flu that was around for a while, then I got diarrhoea for a week. Then I got my neck crushed and then there was the week I felt it was when I got the head knock against Tigers. It’s been something every week. I just had one of those starts to the year. It’s definitely been tough but it’s all done. The Bulldogs seem to be going in the right direction and I want to show them what I can do.”
Luke with his brother (left) and father (right).
