Saturday is going to be a very special day for a patient of Weston Park Hospital and her family of Barnsley fans.
When Barnsley Football Club and Weston Park asked for patients to help make Weston Park Cancer Charity’s takeover day a success - Mel Hughes volunteered to do as much as she could to help raise funds and much needed awareness for the charity.
But both the charity and the Club felt her story deserved more.
In 2016, Mel’s life was turned upside down after a CT scan revealed she had a tumour on her left frontal lobe. Speaking of her experience she commented; “That day changed my life forever. It’s a day I will never forget… I was now a CANCER patient… something I never thought I would experience was now a reality.”
Throughout her treatment, Mel’s devoted husband has always been at her side; “Treatment has made me very sick with no energy and balance issues, so my husband Kevin took time off work to take me for treatment and care for me during my worst days. At weekends he would have time out for himself by going to watch Barnsley FC whom he had watched from being a teenager, his way of also having some time with our oldest son Taylor. For a few hours he could focus on something other than cancer.”
So on Saturday, Mel, her husband Kevin and son Taylor will have the honour of leading the team onto the pitch ahead of kick-off wearing special Barnsley Football Club shirts. As part of this once in a lifetime opportunity, the three of them will meet players and staff before carrying out the match ball and presenting to the referee prior to kick-off.
