Football for Frankie

Young footballers will be doing their best on Sunday to raise cash for a brave Danetree Primary School pupil who is currently fighting bone cancer.

A special tournament has been organised on May 14 to help Frankie Biggs, who will be one of the first children in the country to have two ‘bionic’ knees as a result of his illness.
Frankie’s family and friends are aiming to raise £4,000 to pay for specialist equipment at his home which will help his recovery and rehabilitation.
A little over six months ago Frankie’s mum Alison was told that he had ligament damage to his knee, but her mother’s instinct told her something was wrong and she took her son to A&E for an X-ray. He was also scanned and the family received the devastating news that he had a form of cancer called osteosarcoma and it had spread to both of his knees.
He has since undergone the replacement of one knee, along with a 29 week course of chemotherapy and he will also need the other knee replacing.
“Everyone is amazed at how strong Frankie is, and he is certainly living-up to his nickname of Frank the Tank,” said  his mum.
She is determined to raise awareness of osteosarcoma cancer and wants to produce leaflets  to highlight the signs in children who may often complain of growing pains, followed by a lump forming after a knock or fall.
If more information had been readily available earlier, Alison said it could have helped earlier in Frankie’s case and may have even meant he avoided the secondary cancer he is now fighting.
The football tournament will help the family reach their financial goal to help provide the equipment at his home where a ground floor bedroom and wet room for Frankie has already been installed to help him while he is relying on a wheelchair.
Members of Danetree Primary School’s Parent Teacher Association have organised the tournament, which will be held at the school from 9.15am.
To  help Frankie’s appeal, see the website www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/Franksarmy
His special replacement knees allow for Frankie to grow and can be extended without the need for further surgery. They are known as a JTS and can be extended with exposure to a rotating magnetic field. The technique, which utilises a special gearbox within the implant, was first used in 2002.