Anxious wait for football-mad Denver

Denver Fay (10) who suffers from hydrocephalus and chiari malformation, was rushed to the high dependency ward at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital after banging his head playing football at the Burnley Football Summer Camp.

However, while in hospital, the keen Everton fan was cheered up by a visit from fellow “Toffees” supporter “Speedo Mick”.

Speedo Mick, real name Michael Cullen, has raised £50,000 for the Woodlands Hospice Charitable Trust in Liverpool after walking hundreds of miles to Wembley in his swimming trunks.

Denver is now thankfully back home with his family in Brunshaw, but parents Adam Fay and Laura Bell are now anxiously waiting to see if he needs surgery to remove a bleed on the brain.

Laura said: “It’s so unfortunate for Denver and so sad because he was really enjoying his football. The accident was completely unrelated to his condition and it’s just unlucky he banged his head.

“Denver has already had 15 operations, and he may now have to have another. Thankfully he is well enough to be back home now, but he’s missing his football.”

Denver, who plays for Belvedere on Saturdays and Brierfield Celtic on Sundays, was certainly perked up by his visit from Speedo Mick.

He also had another timely get well message courtesy of BFC in the Community who sent him a shirt with “Denver 10” on the back, signed by all the children and staff from summer camp.

The little lad, who inherited his love of Everton from dad Adam, was invited on to the Goodison Park pitch for an FA Cup match in January.