- By Grace Parnell & Alex Moss
- BBC Information
Teenage footballers have shaved their heads to indicate help for a team-mate who has a uncommon type of most cancers.
Owen, who performs for the under-16 group AFC Pogmoor in Barnsley, is present process chemotherapy for Ewing sarcoma, an aggressive type of bone most cancers.
The group determined to do a sponsored head shave so the 15-year-old “did not really feel overlooked”.
Owen, from Rotherham, mentioned: “I really like all of them to bits. I do not know what I would do with out them.”
{The teenager} was recognized with most cancers not lengthy after serving to his group to promotion when he was aged 13.
His mum Andrea mentioned he began with a ache in his leg however inside weeks was given the “devastating analysis”.
The teenager underwent chemotherapy for a number of months earlier than returning to play soccer, and the group celebrated a number of league and cup wins.
Nonetheless, in February Owen was instructed the most cancers had returned and he must bear a second spherical of remedy at Sheffield Kids’s Hospital.
The group’s supervisor Phil McNulty got here up with the thought for the boys and coaches to shave their heads with the mass shave going down on Tuesday evening as an alternative of the standard coaching session.
Fellow participant Alfie mentioned: “I needed to test with my mum that it was alright, however I actually needed to do it.
“It exhibits we’re all team-mates and we’re all backing him by his journey.”
Workforce-mate Liam mentioned: “We knew Owen was going to need to shave his hair once more so we did not need him to really feel overlooked.”
Initially the boys set a fundraising objective of £250 however so excess of £2,600 has been raised to go to Owen and his household to spend nonetheless they need.
Owen, who has 5 siblings, mentioned: “The cash does not matter to me. It is simply having love and help and this has been superb.”
{The teenager}’s dad Invoice mentioned: “You’ll be able to’t purchase comradeship by sport, it is simply discovered on the sector.
“What these lads have carried out – they could snigger that they’ve simply shaved their hair off – nevertheless it’s the present of help in your team-mate. When the chips are down, you present how exhausting and difficult you might be.”
Ewing’s sarcoma is a uncommon type of bone most cancers, with most instances recognized in folks aged 10 to twenty.
The signs can rely upon the scale of the most cancers and the place it’s within the physique, in line with the NHS.
Andrea mentioned her son was “superb” however the illness had “large, horrendous ripples” all through the entire household.
She mentioned Owen was match and wholesome earlier than being recognized and had proven not one of the typical signs related to the most cancers.
“From a toddler doing park runs to being instructed he is received eight weeks to stay with out remedy, as a guardian my world simply fell aside.
“I by no means thought I used to be going to be that guardian with a toddler with most cancers.”
She urged anybody involved about their kid’s pains to get them checked out.
“It is such an unusual most cancers however we need to get that consciousness on the market for Owen and everybody else.
“If it saves one or two youngsters’s lives then my job has been carried out.”
