Former England striker Andy Cole has opened about his struggles while living in isolation with kidney disease.
Cole, who has been living alone after his marriage broke down following his transplant, says living in isolation is driving him insane.
Cole, who has been in isolation for six weeks, is only in touch with his friends and family through phone calls who are leaving food parcels on his doorstep in Manchester amid coronavirus crisis.
He had a kidney transplant three years ago that saved his life but his marriage broke down after his transplant and he has been living alone since then.
The 48-year-old said: “I’m not scared of death. I nearly died before, so why would I fear it now? But I have to be sensible.”
“I want to go out, have a laugh with my mates, and go for dinner. I don’t know when I will be able to do any of that again. It’s driving me insane.”
He says he is dealing with everything by himself as he has no one by his side and it has been very difficult for him.
Cole thanked his family and friends for helping him in a difficult time like this but he doesn’t like to rely on others.
When Cole was on a tour to Vietnam as a club ambassador, he contracted the deadly virus and has now been living in isolation for six weeks.
In 2017, Cole’s nephew Alexander Palmer donated him a kidney and he thanks Alexander for giving him a second chance at life.
He said: “I don’t want people to feel sorry for me. I’m so lucky Alexander was there to help me, I’m grateful I get to live another day. But I hate this disease and it’s never going away.”
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