HONOUR FOR FUNDRAISING BRAIN TUMOUR LAD Brave little Ravi’s dream come true
IT WAS difficult to know who was more impressed – amazing young fundraiser Ravi Adelekan or the Premier League stars surprising him with a very special award.
The eight-year-old brain tumour survivor had no idea what was in store when he went with mum Bethan and sister Maya, five, to watch Brighton take on his beloved Newcastle United.
And superfan Ravi squealed with joy as his Toon heroes Kieran Trippier and Bruno Guimarães appeared to tell him he had been named Child of Courage in the Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards with TSB.
The magical meeting was a dream come true for Ravi, who wants to be a footballer when he grows up and also aims to raise £250,000 for charity.
He said: “It felt really cool, I know not a lot of other people get to do things like that. The players all looked bigger in real life, which is funny because they already look big on the TV.”
DETERMINED
Ravi is worthy winner of the Pride of Britain honour because despite a tough start to life, he is determined to help others.
Bethan and dad Olugbenga feared the worst when Ravi was diagnosed with a benign brain tumour aged six. He had a 10-hour operation but surgeons could not remove the whole growth.
Ravi is still struggling with his balance and reduced hearing and vision on his left side. But he was determined to return to his hobbies of playing tennis, football, music and solving maths puzzles.
Less than a year after surgery, the fun-loving youngster also set himself an ambitious target to raise £250,000 to be shared between the Brain Tumour Charity and Brainstrust – both of which have supported Ravi.
He has already collected £86,000 and, helped by his parents and Maya, he produced and starred in his own music video, a version of A Million Dreams from The Greatest Showman.
A string stars, including Hugh Jackman, Paloma Faith, Bastille, Coldplay, De La Soul, Jimmy Somer
ville and Abba’s Bjorn Ulvaeus showed their support.
And kind-hearted Ravi did not stop there. In June, he organised a day of football fun at local Worthing FC, with an under-eights tournament and a mixed-gender adult match.
And he launched a Dream Week at the House of Commons, where celebrities and politicians urged people to give back to their communities.
Ravi’s family use their social media channels to raise awareness of brain tumour symptoms. Proud Olugbenga, who is a musician, said: “This has all
This all comes from Ravi – he doesn’t let anything that has happened to him hold him back from doing all the normal stuff
come from Ravi – he doesn’t let anything that has happened hold him back from wanting to do all the normal stuff he was doing before his diagnosis.”
Tech manager Bethan, of Brighton, East Sussex, added: “He manages to find something positive in everything – even when we had to drag him out of bed to go to A&E he found it exciting.”
She said Ravi thought they were going to Brighton’s Amex Stadium to watch Brighton play Newcastle and film something for a charity video.
When his footie idols appeared, it was a moment Bethan said left them
“totally mindblown”. She said: “I think Ravi and I compete as to who is the family’s biggest Newcastle fan so it was just as exciting for me as it was for the kids.
“I was just so proud with how he and Maya dealt with the situation – they were happily fist-bumping and chatting with Kieran and Bruno.”
After the game in June, Kieran threw his sweaty shirt Ravi’s way. It is now a prized possession and Ravi admitted: “We still haven’t washed it”
Bethan said: “We had the best time. The kids were singing the whole time
and everyone was really friendly. Although we lost, the Newcastle fans made it feel like we’d won 5-0.”
Ravi’s tumour is currently stable and will be checked every nine months.
For now, the family is determined to live every day like it is their last.
And Ravi said: “Having a brain tumour doesn’t mean you can do anything less than other people.”
■■You can back Ravi by donating at ravisdream.com. Watch him get his Child of Courage award at the Pride of Britain ceremony on Thursday at 8pm on ITV.