Darts fan Gary Hollingworth will soon be hosting and competing in a round-the-clock darts tournament to raise vital funds for the Bone Cancer Research Trust.
The event is being held in memory of Gary's son, Matthew, who was just 22 years old when he passed away from osteosarcoma on 16th February 2022.
Having originally planned to complete the fundraiser with Matthew as a thank you for the support he received from us whilst undergoing treatment, Gary will now be competing with Matthew's brothers, Daniel and Jonathan, as well as close friends Neil, Paul, Dave, Matt, Simon, Norm, and Mark.
If you would like to join in and play against Gary or special guest Scotty "2Hotty" Waites, a darts professional, visit the Victoria Hotel in Allerton Bywater (WF10 2BZ) from 4pm on 17th June to 4pm on 18th June.
There will also be a raffle, name the bear competition and merchandise sale, as well as live music from the Bare Brass Band on Saturday night.
All proceeds raised throughout the event will go towards supporting our vital work, as well as raising awareness of osteosarcoma.
Matthew had been experiencing strong pain in his left shoulder for several months before visiting his GP, who prescribed painkillers and referred him for a month of physiotherapy.
When the pain didn't subside Matthew was sent for an X-ray, which revealed that his shoulder was badly fractured, and the surrounding bone showed clear signs of bone cancer.
The following week Matthew was sent for a biopsy at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in Birmingham, and the results confirmed that he had an osteosarcoma tumour in his left shoulder.
After a round of gruelling chemotherapy and in preparation for his next surgery, he was informed that surgically removing the tumour was impossible due to its location and the only option left was to amputate his left arm.
Following the amputation Matthew finished his final round of chemotherapy and then underwent a thoracotomy for growths that were found on his lungs. The surgery marked the end of his treatments, which spanned 11 months from the date of his original X-ray.
To find out more about Matthew's story, visit:
To support Gary's incredible challenge please visit his JustGiving page below:
The Bone Cancer Research Trust is dedicated to raising awareness among healthcare professionals of the signs and symptoms of primary bone cancer with the aim of increasing speed of diagnosis, improving outcomes and saving lives. To find out more visit: