Over €13,000 raised for footballer’s young son after cancer diagnosis
€13,470 was raised for the son of a Brazilian footballer playing his trade in Malta, who was diagnosed with cancer just as his father’s job was cut short.
Patrick Maia, 32, was told last week that his oneyear and nine-month old son Luca has neuroblastoma cancer – the same week when his contract with local football team Marsa FC ended after the football season was cut short.
Maia is Brazilian, but has played the majority of the last four years in Malta, appearing for clubs such as the Hamrun Spartans, Santa Lucia, and, most recently, Marsa FC.
The premature end to the football season, brought about by Covid-19 and the authorities’ refusal to give the go-ahead for elite sports competitions to restart as part of their first-announced relaxation measures, meant that Maia’s contract ended prematurely – leaving his family without a big chunk of income.
The €13,470 figure is expected to cover only part of young Luca’s treatment.
Luca is likely to need two years of treatment in his fight against cancer – treatment which will include a number of chemotherapy sessions, medical interventions, and specialised care in the United Kingdom.
His father said on Facebook that his “little warrior” has already undergone a mini-surgery procedure in his chest so that he can receive chemotherapy treatment in the specific place where it is needed, and then had his first five-hour session of chemotherapy as well.
“He has been behaving very well, he has been strong and very brave to put up with all this. God is ahead in this war and with a lot of faith in Him we will win”, Maia wrote on Facebook.
Maia also said that Luca is no longer positive for Covid-19 – he tested positive for the virus in the days prior to receiving the cancer diagnosis – which means that their focus is now solely on fighting his cancer.
The fundraising effort was led by players from different football clubs, and shared widely amongst Malta’s football community.
Maia’s close friend and another football player Romeu Romao was the brains behind the fundraiser, while Marsa’s Philip Chircop, Pembroke Athleta’s Peter Paul Sammut and Mark Borg, and Senglea Athletic’s Dion Fava pushed the fundraiser throughout the football community.
The support to Maia and Luca has continued in recent days, with Hamrun Spartans captain and goalkeeper Manuel Bartolo announcing that he will be auctioning off his league-winning gloves, with all the money going to Maia and his family.
Romeu Romao meanwhile shared a video containing 11 minutes of messages of support for Luca from various figures across the Maltese football world – with Mosta FC coach Mario Muscat, Marsa FC’s Manolito Micallef, Valletta legend and Malta U21 coach Gilbert Agius, former Birkirkara and Valletta coach Paul Zammit, Malta captain Andrei Agius, and Malta’s leading goalscorer Michael Mifsud amongst the many people sending their wishes of support.
In response to the video, Maia thanked everyone for their incredible support.
“We’ve received lots of messages, donations, food but the most important is the prayers you’ve offering to him. #KeepPraying. So much love and strength from all of you to my little warrior. With Faith in God and all of us together we can do it”, he said.