Ronnie Leys is a three-year-old boy from Saffron Walden – he is a keen sportsman, attending swimming lessons, weekly dance and music lessons and is a member of ‘Cambridge in the Community’ cerebral palsy football team. Football is without doubt Ronnie’s biggest passion and one of the many reasons behind his incredible journey and progression to date.
Ronnie was not a premature baby but born at 40 weeks and two days after a huge struggle during birth with many complications along the way. He suffered a brain haemorrhage during his ordeal and, as a result, a bleed to his brain – when he thought he had had everything thrown at him, Ronnie had a seizure on his first night. He spent the first 16 days of his life in the care of Addenbrookes Hospital and continued to show his fight and determination to start what would be a very challenging life.
Ronnie was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when he was two but the signs beforehand had pre-warned his parents, West Ham-supporting Steve and Clare, of this formality. Ronnie (pictured with his Dad, alongside his Mum and brother Frankie) continued to fight on and his self-belief and determination enabled him to do anything he wanted to do with nothing holding him back. Ronnie was a late developer with walking, starting at two years and two months. Steve and Clare have accepted that an operation known as Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR) is their next and only remaining option which would help Ronnie walk independently and change his life for the better.
Sadly, this operation isn’t available on the NHS. Ronnie would also need a minimum of 18 months physiotherapy and rehabilitation. Steve and Clare have organised a celebrity charity football match in the hope of reaching their £30,000 fundraising target to pay for Ronnie’s operation which would allow him to walk independently.
The charity football match will be at Bishop’s Stortford FC’s ProKit UK Stadium on Saturday 5th May, with Ronnie’s ‘Run, Ronnie, Run Celebrity XI’ playing Saffron Walden Town FC Legends. Celebrities confirmed so far include former Hammers Kevin Horlock and Luke Chadwick.
Mike Hassini, from The Only Way Is Essex, and Simon Searles, contestant in Love Island 2017, have also confirmed they will be playing in the match. Gogglebox and Celebrity Big Brother star George Gilbey and two professional boxers, Mitchell Smith and Sammy McNess, have also agreed to play. A raffle will be held at half-time, with gifts secured from former Hammers Bobby Zamora and Neil Ruddock, and cricketer Monty Panesar.
Che Chesterman will be singing Beyonce and Naughty Boy’s ’Runnin’, which has been chosen as Ronnie’s campaign song, as the players walk out and he is also playing in the match. Steve Leys, Ronnie’s father, said:
“The operation costs are £20,000 and Ronnie will require extreme physiotherapy daily until he recovers fully. We are looking for £30,000 altogether which covers the operation, after-care at the hospital, accommodation and physiotherapy sessions.”
Tickets for the charity football match are £5 and available from the Saffron Walden Tourist Information Centre. Entry is free for Under-5s.
More than £15,000 has been raised so far – donations can be made by texting FITE67 and any amount to 70070 or by clicking here.