“Worst day of my life”
Dennis Diekmeier’s daughter is fighting for survival
November 6, 2025 – 6:01 a.mReading time: 2 minutes
The former footballer’s family has been battling a rare tumor for a year. What the doctor said to the 14-year-old in the hospital was brutal.
Former HSV professional Dennis Diekmeier spoke in detail for the first time about his 14-year-old daughter Delani’s serious cancer. In January, the family received the shocking diagnosis: a fist-sized tumor on the adrenal gland, measuring twelve by twelve centimeters. “Before, my life and the life of the family were great. And suddenly you get a shock diagnosis and everything falls away from under your feet,” said the 36-year-old in an interview with the “Hamburger Abendblatt”. The tumor had already spread to the lungs. “When we sat down with the chief doctor, he told us that it didn’t look good and that the chance of survival was five percent,” recalls Diekmeier.
It is therefore a very rare tumor that only 0.002 percent of people get at this age. The treatment is extremely difficult: the first chemotherapy did not work, Delani has now had three lung operations, and immunotherapy also had no effect. “We kept having setbacks, setbacks, setbacks, and that was the most brutal thing for her,” says Diekmeier, describing the situation. During the worst phase, his daughter lost 25 kilograms and all her hair. She is currently receiving new immunotherapy.
In the summer, the former professional footballer took a leave of absence as assistant coach at SV Sandhausen. “I have to be here and support my family with 100 percent of my power,” he explains. Despite everything, Delani shows enormous fighting spirit: despite chemotherapy, she continued to ride in tournaments and became Baden champion in show jumping. “You can see what strength horse therapy can give,” says her father.
A few months ago, the family decided to go public with their illness and founded a donation platform for cancer research. “So many people in Germany get cancer, but this type is so rare that not much research is done,” says Diekmeier. On Saturday he will be at HSV’s home game against Borussia Dortmund, when the Hamburg team will be wearing special jerseys with the message “Precaution can save lives!” accrue.
About the moment of the diagnosis, the former HSV player says: “Suddenly we’re sitting there and a doctor tells her that she still has a five percent chance of survival. That was the worst moment in my life.” Despite everything, the family is not giving up: “As long as this hope is there, even if it is only at one percent, we will give everything for it.”