'Mind-blowing' support shown for three-year-old with Leukaemia Darcie Tobutt from Leyland

Up to 600 young footballers are preparing to take on a sponsored walk in aid of a Leyland three-year-old fighting cancer.

So far, members of 46 teams from across the Lancashire area have signed up to walk from Penwortham Holme to UCLan Sports Arena in Cottam on the Guild Wheel on Saturday, July 1.

They will be doing so to raise money for the family of Darcie Tobutt from Leyland who is undergoing five weeks of intensive chemotherapy at Manchester Children’s Hospital after doctors discovered she had B - Cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

>>>Click here to read more about Darcie’s story

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The walk has been organised by Michael Parry, who is a coach with Cadley FC, and has met Darcie’s dad Andy, who is manager of the Sir Tom Finney Whites.

He said the response to the walk has been “mindblowing”.

He said: “This last two years we’ve spent playing football against various teams we’re we have had the pleasure of meeting other managers and coaches and sharing our experiences.

"We’ve met some great people and when we heard about one of them and the struggles their gorgeous little girl is going through, we had to jump into action.

"Andrew Tobutt is a manager for Sir Tom Finney Whites and their darling girl Darcie who is only three years old has been diagnosed with leukaemia.

“The only times we’ve crossed paths are on the sidelines as our u7’s and now U8’s teams and he is one of the nicest coaches we’ve come across.

“So our idea was to invite as many of our wonderful like minded managers/ coaches and for us all to come together and try and do some good to make what Darcie has to go through that little bit easier.”

All of the members from the teams taking part will be wearing their kits.

What is leukaemia?

Leukaemia is a type of blood cancer that affects blood cells in your bone marrow – usually white blood cells.

Bone marrow is a spongy tissue found inside some of your bones, and it’s where the body makes blood cells. In leukaemia, blood cells are not produced the way they should be – you may have too many, too few, or blood cells that don't work properly.