Please read the full post to learn about Joe, his story, love for Rovers, his condition and what we organised for him….
I came across Joe and his story on Twitter, I read about him and his heartbreaking condition, I knew after learning more that I wanted to try and organise a MHFC EXPERIENCE or SURPRISE for him, as he had a love for football and especially Doncaster Rovers.
I wanted to sort something for Joe regardless, but what made it just that little more special is that I recognised him and his name from MHFC sessions which he’s attended in the past, so he knew about MHFC, what it’s about and even taken part.
After a meeting with Doncaster Rovers, it was clear that something was going to be organised for Joe, but it was just a case of what and when.
It was decided to try and organise not only for Joe, but for his Dad too, who also loves and attends the majority of Rovers games with Joe to meet the players, a day that worked with the team’s availability and in between Joe’s appointments was sorted.
As you can see from the photos and Olivia’s write-up below, it was a fantastic experience for Joe and his Dad….
His partner Olivia, said the following….
“In June of this year, Joe was diagnosed with LHON (Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy) causing him to lose his sight, significantly over a 6-week period.
He is now Blind with no central vision and only slight peripheral vision remaining, which we have been told could also go in the future.
Joe’s first Rovers game was in 1992 with his Dad, Peter. It was Colin Douglas’s testimonial game. His Dad had paid for him to sit down at Belle Vue, and from then on they stood at every other 🙂
He got his first season ticket in 1994, and he has had one ever since.
His love for football gives him a sense of belonging to the club, alongside all the passionate fans, experiencing the highs and lows together and he’s proud to have followed in his Dad’s footsteps supporting the Rovers, as Joe’s Son has with him. It gives him something to look forward to on a Saturday, and long may it continue
Since losing his sight, it has been extremely difficult, Joe went from celebrating the Rovers promotion in town, to the next home game not being able to see.
We are taking it one day at a time as new challenges surface, but he has a lot of support around him and he has created a YouTube channel #aboutgoingblind (https://youtube.com/@aboutgoingblind?si=mxwfnz6qr2Un9hOW) which has provided him with an outlet, kind of like Therapy for him to speak unfiltered about how he’s feeling, and if he helps anyone out there going through a similar experience then that would be great.
The MHFC Experience was fantastic, it was the first time he had been to the training ground in 15 years, Billy Sharp was there back then too. All the players were really welcoming, and Grant, the manager, had a good chat with Joe and invited us to watch some training. Joe’s Dad also joined us, and it was special for them both to share that moment.
The future is uncertain, and Joe’s eyes are still deteriorating week on week, he remains positive, hopes that he inspires others through his channel and is thankful for all of the support and kindness shown throughout this life-changing situation.”
🙌 A huge thank you to Doncaster Rovers and the team for helping me to make this fantastic experience happen for Joe and his Dad.
‘MHFC EXPERIENCES’ and ‘MHFC SURPRISES’ are something we hope to do more of in the future, it could be tickets to a game, hospitality, meet and greet, signed merch, stadium tour, or anything else we could sort for the MHFC community members or anyone else we hear about.
The more we can do for people, the better and give as many different people as many different opportunities and experiences as possible to give them a mental boost 🤞🙏
Maybe something they’ve never been able to attend before, but we can give them that opportunity 💚
‼️If anyone has any links or contacts to people at sports clubs that could help us provide these experiences, please get in touch 😊
You can read about previous experiences here https://www.mentalhealthfc.org/category/mhfc-experiences/
You can read about previous surprises here https://www.mentalhealthfc.org/category/mhfc-surprises/
If anyone or companies would like to support, donate to or sponsor MHFC please get in touch at hello@mentalhealthfc.org
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IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH THROUGH FOOTBALL ⚽️💚
EVERYONE WELCOMED & SUPPORTED
https://www.mentalhealthfc.org/
#MHFC #MentalHealthFC #MentalHealthMatters