Crewe fan cycles to Elland Road to raise money for young goalkeeper
Crewe Alexandra fan Darren Lewin will cycle from the Mornflake Stadium to Elland Road on Tuesday to raise funds for Ashton Hulme, a young academy player battling bone cancer.
Lewin has taken on the 80 mile ride, travelling from his club’s home stadium to the venue of their Carabao Cup clash against Leeds United, to raise money for Hulme to access prosthetics after part of the boy’s leg was amputated in March following a long period of chemotherapy.
Lewin’s JustGiving page has raised over five thousand pounds for Ashton, with the pot nearly doubling in the last twenty-four hours since the page was shared by Leeds fans on Twitter on Monday afternoon.
The funds will be a huge help to the Hulme family, who hope to raise £300,000 for the cause.
The money will go towards the prosthetics, encompassing a knee, lower leg and foot replacement, and substantial maintenance costs which are vital to ensuring the future mobility of the young athlete, who dreams of becoming the first professional amputee goalkeeper.
Ashton's mum, Vicky Hulme, said she was bowled over by the number of Leeds fans who had donated when she checked the fundraising page.
She said: "I thought someone had put in one big donation, I couldn't believe it - it was just Leeds fan after Leeds fan.
"It's just unbelievable and so heartwarming.
"It's more than football. Everyone just comes together and wants to wish you well and to help in some way and it's just been overwhelming.
"Reading through the messages, it feels like we're part of Leeds."
Vicky, 41, added: "Darren's amazing - I can't believe what he's doing for Ashton."
The Crewe Academy released a statement in support of the young footballer, who is a Stoke City fan, after he was diagnosed at the end of 2020.
“Ashton is not only a talented young goalkeeper,” said Aidan Callan, Crewe Alexandra’s Academy Manager. “But more importantly, a brilliant young lad full of personality, energy, politeness and is extremely well liked by everyone here at the Academy.”
“We will be there for him every step of the way, doing anything we can. The football family is really pulling together for Ashton and his family.”
“I don’t want him to sacrifice any more of himself,” his mother, Vicky Hulme, wrote on his fundraising page. “He has suffered enough already.”
“When his friends are saving up for their first cars, or their first homes, I don’t want Ashton’s life being held back or disrupted any more by having to fund his own mobility, which is a basic need for anyone.”
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