Nicolas Colsaerts’s Extremely Rare Yet Severe Kidney Disease Almost Ended His Career: DP World Tour Pro’s Comeback Explored

At the time of writing, DP World Tour pro, Nicolas Colsaerts is currently placed 1st at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. He is fending off the likes of Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, and Brooks Koepka, which in itself is an impressive feat. It will be interesting to see if the Belgian Bomber can take the trophy home and add to his 10 career wins. But life hasn’t been a bed of roses for him, especially in the last few years.

Life, as we all know, is full of ups and downs. But we all can agree that nobody wants to go to the hospital and find out that they have a rare disease. Unfortunately, that is what happened with Colsaerts in 2022. He uploaded a photo of himself with a needle in his arm on Instagram. And fans were very concerned.

Nicolas Colsaerts’s battle against Primary Membranous Nephropathy

The 41-year-old golfer went to the doctor complaining of swelling in his ankles. But after a few tests were conducted, he found out that he had fluid and multiple blood clots in his lungs. He spent an entire week in the hospital so doctors could diagnose the problem. Turns out, he had a rare kidney disease called Primary Membranous Nephropathy. Understandably, he and his family were in complete shock. Colsaerts is now out of danger, but he gave us a deep dive into his fight against the diseases in an article published on Worldwide Golf.

He is out of danger now, but it wasn’t straightforward, to say the least. He underwent immunosuppressant treatment and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. He was administered Rituximab, a synthetic antibody that helps to kick-start the autoimmune response of our body. It is also used for other life-threatening illnesses like lymphoma and rheumatoid arthritis. He had to travel to Dubai for the hyperbaric treatment and stayed there for almost 3 months. Colsaerts was thankful to the doctors and caregivers, but he was especially appreciative of his wife for all her support. “I wouldn’t be standing where I am today if she wasn’t there“, said the Belgian. He is now out of danger and has also started competing regularly.

Nicolas Colsaerts’ life after his recovery

Following his recovery, he was selected by Luke Donald as vice-captain for the 2023 Ryder. He said that he was raring to go after recovering and his role as vice-captain was the perfect opportunity to get back on the horse. His presence at the big events made him feel like he was,”… on some sort of mission again – to be part of something”. With fortune beside him, his team won the Cup and Colsaerts certainly must have had a hand in the victory.

After being granted a full medical exemption by the DP World Tour in 2023, he has currently made 5 appearances in 2024. Giving an impressive show at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, Colsaerts seems to finally be back to his best. He credited the treatment he received for his improvement, stating, “…the difference it’s made to my ability to focus, concentration, thinking process…listening to my wife a lot more! I highly encourage everyone to go through the treatment.”

Do you think Colsaerts will win the 2024 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship? Let us know in the comments!