Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Mum’s pride over Down’s lad £1k walks
THE mother of a toddler with Down’s syndrome says she is “the proudest mum in the world” after he raised over £1,000.
Tom Albrighton, two, is walking half a mile every day for 21 days.
Mum Kelly said he was defying “scary predictions” made after he was born.
Kelly, 31, a children’s mental health nurse from Birchmoor, Warks, said each walks takes “about an hour” but Tom is “a very determined little boy.”
“The amount of hard work and extra effort it takes from him is incredible and I’m hoping people can see that,” she said.
“He’s proved those paediatricians wrong right from day one.”
The money he has raised will go to Positive About Down Syndrome.
YESTERDAY’S report on child sex abuse in football lifted the lid on the dark side of the beautiful game.
The Sheldon inquiry found significant failings by the Football Association to keep youngsters safe from sexual predators.
Even when it was evident coaches were abusing children, the authorities were far too slow to act. Not only did the FA turn a blind eye, it failed to ban two of most notorious perpetrators from involvement in the game.
The sheer number of offenders at so many leading clubs makes for shocking reading.
Their vile behaviour would not have been exposed but for brave former players who went public. While today’s findings can never undo their ordeals, they should take comfort from knowing their courage was not in vain.
The apology from the FA was welcome but will count for nothing unless it implements all the recommendations in the Sheldon report.
This must never be repeated and everything must be done to protect current and future generations of young players.