EastEnders Denise Fox in induced coma as sepsis complicates leukaemia fight

Denise Fox was placed in a medically induced coma on Monday, August 24, after her chest infection developed into sepsis, marking a critical turn in her battle with acute myeloid leukaemia. The EastEnders character, portrayed by Diane Parish, has been undergoing treatment for the aggressive blood cancer since her diagnosis in May. Doctors informed her that chemotherapy has proven ineffective and a stem cell transplant is her best chance for survival. During the episode, Denise struggled to breathe, prompting medical staff to explain the urgent need for ventilation. A consultant told her, "So you will have a tube going down into your trachea, and that means that we need to put you into a medically induced coma." Denise expressed fear that the sepsis could worsen while she was unconscious, to which the doctor acknowledged a small possibility but emphasized that ventilation would greatly increase her chance of survival. In emotional scenes, Denise refused to see her children, including her son Raymond, to spare them further distress. She asked her partner, Jack Branning, to promise to tell her family she loves them before being sedated.