A brave young footballer has been given a poignant guard of honour after successfully battling cancer.

Alfie Fagan was diagnosed with leukaemia three years ago when he was just five and has been through three years and four months of gruelling chemotherapy.

That came to an end in June and the great news is that eight-year-old Alfie has now just been given the all clear but will continue to be closely monitored by medics.

The Shelley First School pupil plays for Kirkburton Junior Football Club and to mark his recovery and to raise charity money Alfie’s dad, Mark, was one of five walking from Calderdale Royal Hospital in Halifax to the club’s base at Kirkburton Middle School on Saturday.

They set off at 5.30am and Alfie joined them for the final mile. The guard of honour which greeted him included team-mates, parents, coaches and former Huddersfield Town player Collin Quaner.

 

 

Mark, who was head of first team operations at Huddersfield Town during the club’s two-year spell in the Premier League, said: “Alfie has had oral chemotherapy every day and then intravenous chemotherapy every four weeks.

“This has gone on for three years and four months and finished on June 24. He’s been so strong throughout – he’s gone through so much.”

When Alfie first became ill he was incredibly lethargic with no energy at all, bruises then started to appear on his legs and he became very pale. Doctors at first thought he had appendicitis and then pneumonia but blood tests showed it was actually leukaemia.

 

 

Alfie Fagan before his diagnosis

 

Mark, who now organises travel arrangements for sports teams, said that throughout his illness Alfie has remained with Kirkburton JFC but his chances to play have been very limited.

“He’s missed so much,” said Mark. “He’s not played three games in a row because of his treatment but the club has been amazing with him. They’ve been so supportive, understanding and made him feel included.

“The treatment has left Alfie with side effects so he’s now working to build up his core strength and balance, increasing his energy and fitness levels.”

The club hosted a Parents Cup on Saturday where parents from the junior team players formed 10 teams to play against one another in a tournament.

The walk was organised by Mark, who is also the under 8 coach at Kirkburton JFC, along with Dave Jowett, chairman of the junior football club.

The other walkers were under 13 junior player Jenson Jowett, under 11 coach and parent Charlie Sanderson, under 12 parent Philippa Oldroyd and under 8 parent Lee Isaac.

It was designed to have waypoints that are personal to Alfie’s battle with leukaemia. It began at Calderdale Royal Hospital where he was first diagnosed in April 2021 and finished where he plays football.

 

Gallery of images by: Huddersfield Hub photographer SEAN DOYLE

 

The money will go to Alfie’s Angels, a group set up in Alfie’s name which has partnered with Slaithwaite-based charity Ruddi’s Retreat with the aim is to raise £50,000 to buy a new caravan, and also the Leeds-based Children Heart Surgery Fund as club secretary and treasurer Jon Emberton’s youngest child, Freddie, was born with heart challenges and is now a happy healthy young boy.

Ruddi’s Retreat provides free caravan breaks for families with children battling serious illnesses such as cancer, have life-limiting conditions or have suffered bereavement. The charity has four caravans on the Primrose Valley Holiday Park near Filey and a fifth near Blackpool.

Written by ANDY HIRST who runs his own Yorkshire freelance journalism agency AH! PR (https://ah-pr.com/) specialising in press releases, blogging, website content and copywriting.

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