Hi. My name is Edward and I will be joining you on Saturday as I work my way through ‘100 strikes against cancer’.

Last September, three days into my start at a new secondary school, I was diagnosed with a brain tumour and my year turned out to be very different to the one I had previously dreamt of.

I had to have a lot of operations (nine in total), spent long periods of time in hospitals in Gloucester, Bristol and Great Ormond Street in London (my Mum lost count after the 140th night), went through 6 weeks of high dose brain and spine radiotherapy and a following 6 months of intensive chemotherapy cycles. I have had to learn to walk again following surgery and it has taken a long time to get myself up and about without needing a wheelchair. 

Whilst going through all this, it shocked me to learn that, despite being the number 1 cancer killer of children and adults under 40, brain tumour research is drastically underfunded when compared to all other cancer types. This means that, for most tumours, the treatments are old and brutal with long term, devastating side effects and for some there is no treatment at all.  I have therefore made it my mission to try and do something to help.

Football has always been my hobby and my passion. I played for a local football club until my diagnosis and my goal is to get back on the pitch as soon as I can.  Football was my escape whilst in hospital.  Doctors would come in and immediately start chatting to me about the teams they support or the latest match and my Dad would plan his stays around when the best match was on so that we could watch it together. I would also talk to my other family members (due to Covid I was only ever allowed a single parent with me – no other visitors) about football on Facetime. 

When talking football, I didn’t have to think about the sickness, hair loss, operations, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, infections, loneliness, the fear or the pain.  Football helped keep me going and it helped give me strength. It helped bring me together with the outside world. It was therefore an obvious choice to make football the focus of my fundraising for brain tumour research.  

Through ‘100 strikes against cancer’, I will be taking 100 penalty kicks (often with only a sister for a goalie and jumpers for goalposts) at 100 different locations.  This is not as easy as you might think. I was unable to walk at all for a long time and my balance is still a problem following the surgery.  However, I am determined to do this! It is important that I do my best to help the many others who will go through a similar diagnosis in the future.

Forest Green Rovers has kindly given me the opportunity to take one of my kicks during half-time during tomorrow's match. Please give me a wave, give me a cheer.  I am pretty frightened - but I will do this. 

I would also be grateful if you could consider making a donation to the Brain Tumour Research charity to support my cause:  

• Cash donations can be made to my buddies who you will see waving buckets outside the stadium entrance before and after the match.

• Text donations (£5) can be made directly to Brain Tumour Research by texting STRIKE to 70085 (texts cost £5 plus one standard rate message).

• Online donations can be made through by Just Giving site.

Thank you.  Every penny is needed, every penny will help.  

Edward 

PS: Fancy following me on my journey? 

Instagram: 100strikes (100edwardsimpson), Twitter: 100 strikes (@100edsimpson), Facebook: 100 strikes