Rowby-John Rodriguez has a huge task ahead of him at the World Darts Championship, but it pales in comparison to his ongoing fight for his daughter’s life.
The Austrian star’s three-year-old daughter was born with multiple heart problems which Rodriguez and his girlfriend have had to manage with check-ups and operations throughout her life.
The couple live with the near-constant fear that something could go wrong for Alicia and it appeared their worst nightmare had come true in September when she was rushed for emergency surgery with her life in danger.
‘That was her third operation since she was born,’ Rodriguez told Metro.co.uk. ‘This time it wasn’t planned, normally we know months before and we go to the hospital, stay there for a few weeks, it’s all planned and we can prepare.
‘In September it was a normal check-up, it went well but as soon as she came back to her room a few hours later everything went really badly. She nearly lost her life and we needed an emergency operation.
‘We weren’t prepared for it, but they said she needed it now, straight away, and we were fighting for her life.
‘That gave us another moment of us saying, right, let’s live our lives with the little one as long as she’s there because she lives with death and life so close.
‘The doctors after the operation told us that, even though it’s hard how close life and death can be to each other, just live your life with the little one and not take anything for granted.
‘Don’t take for granted that she’ll be here in 20 years, you never know, she has a heart problem, but as long as she’s living, live your lives together.’
It is an incredibly sad situation, and even though the operation was a success and that is tremendous news, the heart valve transplant is a sad story in itself.
‘This time the operation was a heart valve from another child that passed away years ago,’ said Rowby-John. ‘It was her size, we were so happy it was there.
‘There was another option for a plastic one, but from another child, it’s so sad where it comes from, but I’m also happy that my little one could get it. We were in the hospital at the right time, with the valve of her size.’
The problems that Alicia has to deal with are so serious that doctors said she would not have survived them just a few years ago, but medicine has improved sufficiently over the last decade that she is still with us.
‘When she was born, the main heart doctor told us that 10 years ago we couldn’t have helped her,’ said Rodriguez. ‘She doesn’t only have one heart problem, she has five different ones all together. They have different names, but I can’t tell you them in English, I can’t even say them in German.
‘We knew it already when my girlfriend was pregnant. We were given the choice of did we want to keep her or not. For us as parents we said 100 per cent we’ll keep her.
‘We have to fight as parents but the little one has to fight for herself as well. We knew that from the start and I’m really glad we decided that. She’s doing really well. She’s fighting for us like we are fighting for her.’
It is an emotional story to hear from a young man trying to climb the ranks of darts but with this hugely difficult situation to deal with at home.
However, the operation in September was a success and there is great progress as Alicia has been able to go to kindergarten for the first time.
‘We definitely know that there will be more operations in the future, it’s not going to be the last one. How many we need now depends on how fast she grows, how fast her heart grows,’ he explained.
‘It’s difficult, but for now they told us it should be relaxed for about three-seven years, but you never know how her body will react. We still have to get a check-up every month. But since the operation everything has gone well and we’re happy.
‘She’s definitely in a good way, she’s doing really good now, started kindergarten a few months ago finally. She’s three now but couldn’t start it because of her health problems.
‘That’s more normality for us now as parents, for three years there was no kindergarten, she was always at home, we can see now that she loves it, she loves going there, makes new friends, playing with other kids like a normal kid would and that’s really nice for us too.’
While looking after his daughter and continuing his darts career, Rodriguez has been fund-raising for those who have helped his family during this incredibly difficult time and has thanked all those who have donated.
‘Today (13 December) we gave one organisation €10,000,’ he said. ‘It was more money than we expected. We gave the heart organisation in Austria €10,000 but we have more to give other organisations that helped us, we’re just waiting for the appointments with them.
‘I was shocked. Normally that amount of money might be from a big shop or business, not a private person, I was really glad we did it. It’s not from a private person though really, it’s from the darting family, I really hope we can help other people in need.’
Rodriguez has had the best season of his career this year, enjoying an excellent first six months including qualifying for the Matchplay for the first time, before his attention was understandably moved elsewhere.
It was impossible to play during the toughest time in September, but is hard enough the rest of the time, with the situation so uncertain.
‘Darts is mostly a mental game, I would say. If you have a free mind you play with freedom, with fun, as soon as you’ve got problems in your private life you can’t concentrate 100 per cent,’ he said.
‘Of course you try and as soon as you’re on the dartboard you try to forget that but it’s not possible, and I don’t want to as well. There’s a more important thing before darts, that’s family. I wouldn’t change it, I’ve learned it, that’s my life, I have to deal with it and I think I’m doing well at dealing with that.
‘It’s my job, I want to be the very best. If everything at home is perfect I’m on the dartboard 100 per cent, my family know that, my girlfriend knows that darts is a big, big part of my life.
‘But since my daughter is here, she also knows that it doesn’t matter if I’m playing at a tournament, if something happens with the little one, and she calls me, I would fly straight back home.
‘It could be any time, but you just have to have that in the back of your head, of course you don’t want it, but it can. I’ve not had an emergency call yet while I’ve been in England, I hope it will never happen, but it is hard if your daughter is not healthy. We’re dealing with it and we’re glad she’s dealing with it as well.’
Rodriguez is heading to Alexandra Palace for a first round clash with Lourence Ilagan in the World Darts Championship this month, and after the recent turbulance he feels in a much better place to succeed.
The talented 28-year-old is going there with the loftiest ambitions and hopes he can pick up the wins that will be especially emotional after what his family have been through and are still going through.
‘If I don’t believe in myself I think I should stay at home. Of course you have to believe in yourself, who else will if I don’t,’ he said.
‘I’m really happy that before the Worlds everything is fine now I’m more relaxed, more chilled, I’ve had time to practice, it’s nice. I’m definitely going to win.’
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