Virtual Mascot - Very Real Role Model
By Nigel Davies
As the fundraising fanzine devoted to Swansea City Football Club, ATFV is always ready to shine a light on and showcase acts of generosity amongst the Jack Army. In this issue we bring you the heartwarming tale of Theo, a lad who literally gave up the signed shirt off his back…….
The Swans recently announced the return of its popular match day mascot package and it will be great to see the highly excited kids once again taking pot shots at Cyril throughout half time, Kev Johns teasing and encouraging them all the way.
Last season of course the mascots were “virtual” ones as Covid kept fans confined to their homes rather than watching from the stands, but the children still had a day to remember with a signed shirt complimenting their moment of fame with a mention on Swans TV.
Theo Gye was one such virtual mascot…only this remarkable young man immediately gave up his treasured Andre Ayew shirt, putting it up for auction to raise money for the Freya Bevan Fund.
Nine year old Theo is following in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps in becoming a fully fledged member of the Jack Army.
Dad Rohan had been going to the Swans with his father Bob for more than 20 years. When Bob became ill, three year old Theo kept the ‘father and son’ tradition going, keeping his grandfather’s seat warm.
Sadly Bob passed away in 2017 and Theo took on his grandfather’s season ticket, determined to follow the Swans and keep the family’s love for the club going strong.
Theo’s not just aiming to be a long time fan though, he has aspirations to turn out for the Swans himself, and as a very promising young goalkeeper with the club’s Under 9s whose to say he won’t do just that?
Freya Bevan is an incredible young girl who has been battling brain tumours since she was just 22 months old.
Having originally beaten it thanks to Proton Beam Therapy treatment in America, Freya was given the devastating news last year that a new tumour had grown.
Once again this tumour can’t be treated in this country and so the only hope for Freya is treatment by the same doctor that treated her last time – which means another prohibitively expensive mission to the States and the family is once again having to find the money to fund this desperate roll of the dice.
Theo himself takes up the story:-
I heard about Freya and as she is the same age as me I asked my mammy if there was anything I could do to help and together we came up with ideas. I decided I would probably raise the most money auctioning my Andre Ayew shirt as he was the best player for the Swans at the time.
Theo and his mother Laura proceeded to run an online auction via her social media accounts and after a pretty fierce battle the shirt was won and a very handsome £315 was donated to the Freya Bevan Fund.
Happily that isn’t the end of the story; the club were made aware of Theo’s act of generosity and replaced the shirt so that this remarkable young man’s gesture didn’t leave him missing out on something so special for himself.
That was the last thing in Theo’s mind when he chose to give away such a valuable possession to help a desperately ill little girl…
...Theo, all at ATFV, the fundraising fanzine, salute you!!
Click the button above to make a donation to the Freya Bevan Fund – no contribution is too small!
