New England Patriots player shares story about nearly dying from often fatal disease

When Anderson was in the hospital with his dangerously high fever, the doctors gave him 50-50 odds on whether he was going to make it through alive.

According to the World Health Organization, malaria was responsible for over 600,000 deaths in 2022. Those 600,000+ deaths stemmed from a staggering 249 million malaria cases worldwide.

Most malaria cases come from Africa, where Anderson visited in the offseason before coming back to Foxborough for training camp. According to the World Health Organization, Africa was the location of 94% of malaria cases and 95% of malaria deaths in 2022.

New England Patriots OL Calvin Anderson credits his wife for saving his life

Anderson, who felt guilt for being sidelined as the Patriots struggled through the season to finish with a 4-13 record, credited his wife Sherée Lanihun-Anderson with the saving of his life.

In an article from the Boston Globe, Anderson said that as a football player, his health isn’t always his first priority and that he was happy to have someone to veto his potential decision to avoid going to the hospital.

“I trust her with my life, and in this case, it was a good example of why that’s important,” Anderson said. “If left to my own devices, I might have decided to not prioritize my health in that moment. As football players, a lot of times we end up prioritizing a lot of things ahead of our health so we can continue to play.

“But this was a case when I had someone in my corner who made a judgment call and had to veto me a little bit there. It ended up saving my life.”

Fan support poured out for New England Patriots OL Calvin Anderson upon hearing of his battle with the fatal disease

Many fans took to social media to express their support for Anderson upon hearing of his struggle with one of the deadliest diseases in the world.

They didn’t only issue support for what he’s gone through, but they admired his ability to attempt to make a comeback to the NFL.

Anderson, who started his career with a short Patriots stint and then played for the Denver Broncos for three years, hopes to play in the NFL this season.