Brave Scots boy joins thousands of rugby fans to raise awareness of brain cancer

A five-year-old boy from Penicuik who battled a rare brain tumour says he is “buzzing” after making a brand new and very important friend at Scotland v Australia at Murrayfield on Sunday.

Cheered on by tens of thousands of rugby fans, Joey Sharp and his new friend Archie Goodburn, a Scottish athlete who was diagnosed with three inoperable brain tumours two years ago, attended the game to campaign for research into brain cancer.

The pair met for an important playdate before the game with Joey’s family to investigate toy dinosaurs and share their journey.

Archie said: “It’s research and clinical trials that’s allowed Joey to be here today, he’s incredible. Continuing to fund research and figuring out how quickly we can get that research into patients like me and Joey is ultimately the most important thing.”

Archie’s recent meeting with the Prime Minister resulted in a commitment from the UK Government to transform outcomes for brain tumour patients.

Joey was just 11 days old when he was diagnosed with a brain tumour. He had been losing weight rapidly, had become increasingly sleepy and was experiencing little twitches.

'Joey is our little ray of sunshine', said his mother Sam Sharp. — ‘Joey is our little ray of sunshine’, said his mother Sam Sharp. Sharp family

His type of cancer, a glioblastoma, is more commonly diagnosed in adults and carries a prognosis of 12-18 months.

Joey underwent three surgeries and nine rounds of chemo, experiencing 30 seizures a day.

Incredibly, the young boy, who now lives with cerebral palsy and weakness down his right side, continues to amaze his family every single day and started school in August.

On Sunday, Scottish Rugby arranged for Sam and Joey to meet the Scotland players and have accessible seating to watch the big game.

It was Joey’s first ever time at Murrayfield.

Archie Goodburn met with Joey on Sunday STV News

Joey and his family have joined the charity Brain Tumour Research in its call for the Government to support a national annual spend of at least £45m on research to improve survival rates and patient outcomes, in line with other cancers such as breast cancer and leukaemia.

Supporters at Murrayfield were given the chance to donate to two charities leading the fight to help those with brain tumours – Brain Tumour Research and the Astro Brain Tumour Fund.

“Joey is just getting more and more cheeky and his confidence is growing almost daily,” said his mother Sam Sharp. “He’s really caring and he’s just doing so well.”

Dr Karen Noble, director of research and policy at Brain Tumour Research, said: “Joey’s story is a powerful reminder that brain tumours are indiscriminate and can affect anyone, at any age. Some 62% of children who survive a brain tumour live with life-long disabilities, yet funding for research remains critically low and there has only been one new treatment approved for childhood brain tumours since 2000.

“We are grateful to Archie Goodburn, Joey’s family and all those in our community who have campaigned for better outcomes for brain tumour patients. We call on the Government to support an increase in the national investment in research into brain tumours to at least £45m to improve survival rates and patient outcomes in line with other cancers such as breast cancer and leukaemia.”