KIND SAINTS HELP HONOUR FAN CONNOR
Team’s funeral tribute to brave leukaemia victim, 19
THE grieving family of a brave teenager who raised thousands for charity will pay a fitting tribute to him with the help of his favourite football team.
Connor McDowall spent most of his life helping other people as he battled leukaemia. Sadly, he died last week, aged just 19.
Now St Mirren FC and their fans have rallied round to make sure mourners can wear the team’s colours to his funeral today as his family requested.
Saints-daft Connor took part in a BBC documentary screened weeks ago which detailed his struggle with the condition and the stem cell transplant he received.
He was visited by Still Game stars Ford Kiernan, Greg Hemphill and Sanjeev Kohli while being treated in hospital last year.
When Connor died, ex-Saints player manager and now chief executive Tony Fitzpatrick contacted his parents to offer team shirts and scarves for mourners to wear.
But kind hearted fans had already organised shirts for the funeral – so the club will auction theirs off to raise funds for the charities Connor supported.
Tony said: “Connor was a true St Mirren fan, as are his family, and he was such an incredible young man.
“What he did throughout his life was unbelievable – he was a true inspiration – and as a club we wanted to do anything we could to support his family through this difficult time.”
Tony, club directors and most of the players will attend the funeral at 4pm today at Paisley’s Woodside Crematorium.
Mourners will then go on to celebrate Connor’s life at St Mirren’s Paisley 2021 Stadium.
Connor, of Renfrew, was diagnosed with leukaemia aged 12 and endured almost four years of chemotherapy but remained cheerful and quick with a joke.
He even gave away his birthday money to sick kids and appeared on TV offering their families hope.
Doctors told him he was in remission shortly after his 16th birthday but the disease returned a year later.
Tony added: “Connor was such a brave, lovely lad who did so much. I lost my own son to leukaemia so I have been particularly touched by his battle.”