ALMOST £1,500 has been raised for Birmingham’s QE Hospital after a friend of Redditch & South Warwickshire Combination side VKL United was remembered in a league game earlier this month.
United’s game against Shakespeare Studley at Redditch United’s Valley Stadium was played in memory of Vinay Kishor Ladwa who passed away in 2013.
Entrance to the game, which was witnessed by more than 200 fans, was charged and those who attended were also asked to make donations.
After a visit to the QE last week, VKL’s assistant manager Stephen Spencer confirmed about £1,450 had been raised for the hospital – a 250 per cent increase from last year.
Stephen said: “I’m absolutely speechless. Myself, the team and Vinay’s family are all overwhelmed at the support we have received and it’s fantastic to see so much has been raised.
“Our aim was to just better last year’s total of just under £600 so to do it in the style we have done is just superb.
“Vinay would be so proud of what has been done to support the QE and we are starting to think about hosting matches to raise money for the Birmingham Children’s Hospital which looked after him for the majority of his life.”
Vinay was born on January 18, 1989 with a kidney disorder and was a regular visitor to the Children’s Hospital for dialysis before being moved to QE aged 18.
His condition worsened as he got older which meant he was in dire need of a kidney and liver transplant.
However, following a transplant in June 2013, Vinay suffered a chest infection and then a stroke, leaving him with a vulnerable blood vessel on his brain.
Despite the best efforts to remove it, the vessel ruptured and he died just a day later.
In honour of Vinay, his friends and family got together to set up a football team in his memory – VKL United.
