Chelsea North: A Teenager and Her Fight Against Cancer

In July of this year, Chelsea North—a 14 year old Liverpool supporter from West Yorkshire—went to hospital complaining of severe leg pains. One week later, to the shock of her family, she was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Chelsea was typical of her age—said to be cheeky, with the usual moodiness from a teenager—until she was told she had osteosarcoma bone cancer and was not going to survive the illness.

It is hard for anyone to imagine how we would react to news of such magnitude at that age, but Chelsea faced up to her fate with such maturity and strength that she even chose her own funeral songs.

After spending eight weeks on a teenage cancer unit at St, James' Hospital in Leeds,  Chelsea refused further chemotherapy and the opportunity of respite care at the Martins House Hospice; instead she asked to go home and spend time with her family and friends.

During the next two months, the young teenager was cared for around the clock by her mum, but as the cancer spread through practically her entire body, she became incredibly weak, eventually spending the majority of her time asleep.

Sadly, in the early hours of Wednesday 19th November 2008, 14-year-old Chelsea North lost her short battle against bone cancer.

The Family Carry on in Her Memory

Leigh Binney was a lifelong supporter of Liverpool FC and his daughter had followed in his footsteps when she gave her allegiance to the club. But football matters aside, this sort of news should be respected and acknowledged, regardless of what team she chose to support—the death of any 14-year-old must surely be considered a tragedy.

Leigh has decided to raise money for Ward 10T of St. James' Hospital—where she received her treatment—and the Martin House Children’s Cancer Hospice—a mostly volunteer based group—by organising a five-a-side, fancy dress football match on Nov. 30 at Soccer City, Waterloo.

The event will see 36 teams of five men go head to head—all dressed as women, nuns and female super heroes—with the aim of raising money for the two organisations that contributed greatly in the comfort of Chelsea's final months and support of the family as they had to deal with the inevitable outcome.

After the event, there will be a fund raising auction and raffle in the Hillhouse and Birkby Bowling Club. The raffle has seen local business' and organisations donate an incredible £5,000 worth of prizes, including signed football shirts from many local clubs like Leeds and Huddersfield.

After the news was posted on various Liverpool forums, donations for the charity event have been flooding in from as far afield as Dubai and Malta, with the charity organisation set up by Chelsea's father looking to raise an impressive £10,000 for the two cancer care units.

Despite their incredible loss, the family of Chelsea North will continue their fundraising efforts in the memory of their beloved daughter.

Hopefully, after supporters discover this tragedy for the first time; a little piece of her memory will always remain somewhere inside us all.