Luton Town FC player Jacob Brown fundraises for The Children’s Hospital Charity following the care received by 10-year-old Jack Powell

Jack Powell, from Barnsley, was diagnosed with osteogenesis imperfecta when he was born, which means his bones are extremely fragile and are susceptible to breaking very easily. His positive attitude has made a lasting impression on his footballing hero, Jacob, who said: “Despite the challenges he faces, Jack always has the biggest smile on his face, and has a brilliant outlook on life. When he walks into a room, he brings this incredible energy. He’s been my biggest inspiration since the day we met.”

Jacob and Jack first met back in 2019 when Jacob was playing for Barnsley FC. Jack, who was five years old at the time, was invited to be a mascot for one of their games, but his condition meant it was too difficult for him to walk out with the team. Seeing his struggle, Jacob didn’t hesitate in picking Jack up and carrying him out onto the pitch to ensure he didn’t miss out on such an unbelievable experience. Ever since that day, Jacob has stayed in touch with Jack and his family, and Jack has become a loyal fan, following Jacob’s career to Stoke City FC and now Luton Town FC.

“Jack is just the nicest kid ever,” said Jacob. “It was his birthday a couple of weeks ago and my wife, Maisie, and I thought it would be cool to invite him to the Luton training ground for the day, which the club were great at supporting us with. He had such a good time, and everyone was amazed with how positive he is, so I wanted to do something special to give back to the team that have helped Jack throughout his life, and to raise more awareness of osteogenesis imperfecta.”

Since he was six weeks old, Jack has been treated at Sheffield Children’s by the Paediatric Bone Disease Service – an internationally recognised team that, along with the help and expertise of a range of colleagues across the hospital, provides high-quality care for children and young people with a wide range of bone-related problems from across the UK.

Sheffield Children’s is one of just three standalone specialist children’s hospital Trusts in the UK, providing the best possible care for children living in Yorkshire, the UK and beyond.

The Children’s Hospital Charity raises vital funds to support and enhance Sheffield Children’s, over and above the NHS provision. The money raised through donations buys life-saving equipment, funds vital research and treatment for thousands of children from across the world, and helps create a comfortable, engaging environments for patients, families and staff.

After deciding to raise funds for Sheffield Children’s via a raffle, Jacob called friends from Luton Town, and other clubs, to score a treasure trove of signed football shirts and boots from players including Alfie Doughty, Carlton Morris, Elijah Adebayo, Pelly Ruddock-Mpanzu, Chiedozie Ogbene, Tahith Chong, Mick Hartford, Ross Barkley, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Tyrese Campbell, Jordan Williams, Callum Styles, Harry Souttar, Jordan Thompson, Ben Wilmot and Brian Howard.

These pieces of memorabilia are now available to be won via Jacob’s JustGiving page. Each £10 donation is equivalent to one entry. You can enter as many times as you like before the raffle closes on Friday 16 August.

Danielle Powell, Jack’s mum, said: “We can’t thank Jacob and Luton FC enough for what they have all done for Jack. He’s literally grown up with the team and is Jacob’s biggest fan! We’ve seen firsthand the difference donations can make, and we’re so grateful for the support and care we’ve received.”

Paul Arundel, Paediatric Consultant in the Paediatric Bone Disease team at Sheffield Children’s, said: “Our team are delighted and impressed by the fundraising done by Jacob and the impact that Jack has had. Money raised for our team is much appreciated and allows us to purchase equipment for children with bone disease for whom there is no alternative source of funding or provision. Typically, this will include aids for mobility and for other activities of daily living, allowing independence and improving the quality of life of both children and their families. It also allows our team to run social and other group events for families of children with bone-related problems."

Jacob added: “It’s a great feeling to be able to use my position and platform to help people. Thanks to Luton FC, Luke Gregory, all the players who have got involved, and to everyone who has already bought a raffle ticket and donated.

“I originally set a target to raise £5,000 in total and couldn’t believe it when we’d surpassed that in the first couple of days. I’d really like to get to £10,000 now. I think we can all do something amazing, together.”