BRAVE Alvechurch boy Finlay Church who has battled back from two brain tumours is back on the fund-raising trail for Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Brain Tumour Research.
Fin, who has so far collected £35,000 for the cause, has raised another £2,000 from a sponsored headshave and the five senseis from Kombat Kids – the karate club he attends – are following suit to raise even more cash.
On Friday (today) an Angels Without Wings ball is being held at Bordesley Park Wedding Venue, which has been donated free.
And although all the tickets for that have been sold, there is an online auction which runs until 8pm on Sunday (September 27) and among 90 lots are Olly Murs’ teddy bear, a signed Chelsea football shirt, a two-week stay in a Florida Villa, tickets to football matches and a signed UB40 photograph and much more.
Fin’s mum Penny said: “Fin has raised £35,000 so far and we had hoped to get to £50,000 with the ball but latest estimates look like we will smash that figure.
“We just want to say a big big thank you to everyone who has helped us reach this magnificent total.”
In June 2014 Fin was diagnosed with the most aggressive malignant primary brain tumour. He underwent six hours of surgery, followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy and a clinical trial.
But this April the tumour returned and Fin underwent a seven-hour operation which saw 90 per cent of the growth removed and a chemotherapy wafer inserted to destroy the rest of it.
Tenacious Fin then made it back to Alvechurch in time to lay the last teddy bear to smash the Guinness World Record for the longest line of teddy bears.
And after being named Birmingham Children’s Hospital fund-raiser of the Year, next Friday the 11-year-old will be up for a Pride of Birmingham Award.
Visit www.myminiauction.com/angelswithoutwingsball for more on the auction and how you can bid.
Visit www.justgiving.com/teams/finlaysjourney to boost Fin’s funds further.
