- Ryan Reynolds wanted to make a difference for one particular Wrexham player
- Wrexham defender Anthony Forde missed part of last season after his wife was diagnosed with a brain tumor – and Reynolds wanted to make a difference
- Chris Sutton: ‘How My Son Almost Died’ – Listen to It’s all Kicking Off podcast
Wrexham star Anthony Forde has praised Ryan Reynolds for his incredible gesture for his wife Laura.
Ireland full-back Forde saw his life turned upside down when Laura was diagnosed with a brain tumor midway through last season.
Forde, who joined Wrexham in 2022, took time out from the team and the news quickly filtered back from manager Phil Parkinson to Reynolds and co-chairman Rob McElhenney.
Reynolds didn’t want to stand idly by as Forde and his wife struggled to make sense of the shocking news – so he arranged for them to get a quick second opinion.
Speaking in episode 14 of the final season of Welcome to Wrexham, Forde revealed: “It just didn’t feel like it was real. The gaffer told the owners about the news and they got in touch. Ryan helped obtain a second opinion. It’s something he doesn’t have to do, he doesn’t have to do that.’
Ryan Reynolds intervened when he heard why one of Wrexham’s players was out of the team
The Hollywood star wanted to help Anthony Forde’s wife after she was diagnosed with a brain tumor. (Image: Reynolds hugs Forde’s wife Laura at the racecourse)
Forde couldn’t believe Reynolds helped them get a second opinion after her MRI scan
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That second opinion proved crucial for the couple, with Laura receiving news that it was a ‘best case scenario’ compared to the results of her first MRI scan.
While neither Forde nor his wife explained her ongoing “treatment plan” or recovery in detail, he felt indebted to Deadpool star Reynolds’ quick thinking and generosity.
Forde’s wife Laura noticed a problem when her newborn was just three days old that her left arm was causing pain. In her own words, which she shared on her Instagram page, her coordination was “not good.”
An MRI found a ‘mass’ and she would be diagnosed with a brain tumor, which was initially said to be incurable, inoperable and expected to have a short life expectancy.
After Reynolds’ intervention, the couple received a second opinion and Laura underwent a biopsy, which revealed that it was a Thalamic pilocytic astrocytoma grade 1 – a benign brain tumor, much less fatal than the first verdict.
Due to the location of the tumor, it cannot be operated on, but the couple saw this as the ‘best case scenario’.
In Welcome to Wrexham, Forde’s wife said she was told about her inoperable tumor
In September, Laura posted again to her Instagram Story explaining that the tumor had not grown and that she was “relieved.”
The latest documentary episode focuses on Forde’s return after months away, a crucial home match against Yeovil Town.
Forde and his wife were seen on the sidelines before a recent game greeting Reynolds, who gives them both a big hug, before speaking to McElhenney that evening while he was in town for the game.
It would be an emotional episode if Forde scored in that match, something director Humphrey Ker described as one of the most ‘special’ moments of the season.
Wrexham would win the match 3-0 and take a giant step towards promotion, with Laura well enough to see her husband’s return from the stands.
Wrexham have made a strong start in the Football League, with Forde and his teammates sitting in third place after 16 games.
The episode ends on a positive note as they got the ‘best case scenario’ second opinion and Forde returned to the Wrexham team and scored in their crucial match against Yeovil.
Welcome to Wrexham is now streaming on Hulu and FX in the US, and on Disney+ in the UK. The final episode of season two will air next week