KA is back.
Three months after being diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), a rare but treatable form of leukemia, New England Revolution defender Kevin Alston is ready to go again. On Monday morning, the club announced that he had been removed from the Disabled List.
Alston, 25, is slated to travel to Colorado on Monday afternoon with the squad ahead of Wednesday’s match against the Rapids, according to the club.
“We’re very pleased for Kevin that his treatment has progressed and he’s returned to the field,” Revolution general manager Michael Burns said in a statement. “From the outset, Kevin was committed to getting back and has maintained an incredibly positive attitude.”
Alston began training again in early July.
Before his diagnosis in April, he had started the first four games of the season at left back, having shown the kind of form that earned him a call-up to the US national team in 2010 and also saw him selected to the All-Star team that year.
Alston immediately began treatment, sparking an outpouring of support for the Revs defender. Revolution fans and players from around the league -- such as New York Red Bulls striker Thierry Henry (video below) -- took to Twitter and other social media to express their support. And on June 8, Kevin Alston bobbleheads were given out at Gillette Stadium in conjunction with Leukemia Awareness Night at the stadium.
