A Lichfield father will be taking part in a fundraising walk in memory of his teenage son.
Simon Turner will raise money for Cure Leukaemia by walking between all of the major football stadiums in Birmingham, Solihull and the Black Country in three days next month.
He decided to take up the challenge following the death of his son Ed.
Having been diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia in 2020, the King Edward VI School student lost his battle against the disease at the end of 2022.
Simon said:
“Ed was diagnosed a few weeks after his 16th birthday. Over the following two years he underwent multiple courses of treatment at Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital, including two stem cell transplants.
“For much of that time, there was real hope that he would beat the disease. Sadly, despite a courageous fight, Ed passed away in December 2022.
“He received wonderful care from the haematology team at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. Over the two years of his illness, he received numerous treatments, including some drugs that have only become available recently.
“While the drugs didn’t save Ed in the end, they kept him alive for much longer than would otherwise have been the case.
“I want to fundraise for Cure Leukaemia because I want to help get new treatments to those who need them.
“I want to fight the disease that took my son.”
Simon Turner
Simon’s walk will take place between 6th and 8th May. He said the decision on how to fundraise for the charity was made due to a shared passion he had with his son.
“A walk between football grounds seemed very fitting because football is very popular within our family.
“Ed was a fan of Aston Villa, while I have followed Walsall for over 40 years and my father has supported the same club for over 60 years.
“Friends and family will be joining me on the walk, some of whom support other football clubs whose stadiums we will visit, such as Birmingham City and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
“Football fans of different clubs often come across as rivals, but this walk will show that we can unite around a common cause.
“The final leg of the walk will be from Walsall’s stadium to Aston Villa’s stadium, which also feels fitting given that I follow Walsall and Ed supported Villa.
“I expect it will be an emotional three days, given that we’re walking in memory of Ed, but I want it to be a celebration of his life, not a cause of sadness.”
Simon Turner
People can donate via Simon’s online fundraising page.
A lovely idea and a great way to raise funds in memory of your young son. I hope you receive lots of generous donations and support. Best of luck. Up the Saddlers.
So, so sad. My son is a student at KE, and we took part in the charity T shirt event recently.
Your son would be SO proud of all you’ve done Simon.
Well done.