Tributes as barrel roll teen dies of leukaemia
TRIBUTES have been paid to a young football fan made famous after performing a bizarre barrel roll at Southport FC.
Lewis Sewell died aged just 18 after tragically battling leukaemia.
A minute’s silence was held at Grimsby Town’s home match against Doncaster in honour of the promising sports star.
As well as being an avid Mariners fan at home and away, Lewis was also a hugely talented pool and snooker player and was tipped to play for England.
He was catapulted to fame when he was dared to ride down the terraces of the Merseyrail Community Stadium in Southport in a dustbin in 2015.
The video was viewed nearly three million times worldwide.
Since his death at home in Henry Street, Grimsby in the arms of his loving family, the video has been watched a further 50,000 times.
His parents, Karl Sewell and Rachel Meikle, have now appealed for all young people to join the donor register in memory of their ever popular youngest son.
They said they had been comforted by the overwhelming number of messages of sympathy and memories shared of happier times with Lewis.
He was diagnosed with leukaemia in February and was treated at Castlehill Hospital, Hull, and at Sheffield Hospital.
He underwent a bone marrow trans- plant in July and was responding well to treatment when he suddenly fell ill with a chest infection.
His immunity had dropped so much that he was unable to fight it, said Rachel.
She said that many of his friends in the football teams Terry’s Boys and The Waterworks Boys had already signed up on the donor register, as had many of their younger brothers and sisters.
Rachel said: “I would be a wonderful legacy if as many young people as possible registered as donors.
“People think it is a painful operation. But it isn’t. With the modern techniques it is a case of transplanting blood from one to the other.
“And to register all you do is have a swab taken from your mouth. Most people don’t know how to register, but it is easy.”