Hassocks and Haywards Heath come together to support the Edwards Family
There was a very special person waiting to greet Hassocks and Haywards Heath Town supporters as they poured through the Beacon turnstiles for the Boxing Day Mid Sussex Derby.
Young Oscar and his mum were there, shaking their bucket to raise money for the Duchenne UK Charity.
Oscar is the four-year-old grandson of Tim Edwards, the Robins’ current goalkeeper coach. Edwards had a long playing career in which he made over 400 appearances between the posts for Hassocks, Heath, Horsham YMCA and St Francis.
He was number one for the Robins side which won the Southern Combination Division Two title in the 1991-92 season, as well as playing a minor part as the Robins secured promotion into the Premier Division in 1995.
But enough about Tim. Unfortunately, Oscar was diagnosed in September with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).
The family are awaiting the results of further tests to determine the extent to which Oscar will be affected by the condition.
DMD is a devastating muscle-wasting disease, the most common and severe form of muscular dystrophy. Diagnosed in early childhood, it mainly affects boys.
The Duchenne UK Charity was started by families of children impacted by the condition, for which there is currently no cure.
As the leading DMD charity in the country, Duchenne UK is aiming to change that. The charity connects scientists, the medical industry, the NHS and families to accelerate research into finding a cure and bring the best care and treatment to those affected by DMD.
Thanks to the generosity of the bumper crowd of more than 500 who attended game between Hassocks and Heath, Oscar managed to raise over £600. A fantastic effort which we thank everyone who donated on the day for contributing towards.
In addition to the fundraising at the Beacon, Oscar’s uncle Andy is running the London Landmarks Half Marathon in April.
Andy himself previously played in goal for the Robins as part of the reserves side who won an historical treble in the 2012-13 campaign.
A football tournament is also being arranged for the summer, which a number of Hassocks players will be competing in. More details of how and when you can support that event will be published nearer the time.
If you were unable to donate to Oscar on the day, then online contributions can be made to Duchenne UK through Andy’s half marathon sponsor page – https://www.justgiving.com/page/andrew-edwards-1701080380306#updates.
Alternatively, please speak to Tim on matchday at the Beacon. Thank you as always for your fantastic support.
