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Stars from EastEnders and Love Island are to play in a charity football match for a brave boy fighting cancer.
Four-year-old Leslie Cooke was diagnosed with Wilms tumour after waking up to find a tennis-ball-sized lump on the left side of his stomach in March.
Due to it being the most advanced phase in the form of stage 4 cancer, the rare kidney disease, also known as nephroblastoma, has spread to Leslie’s lungs, liver, main artery and backbone.
It has left the youngster, from Milton Regis, Sittingbourne, having to endure several months of treatment including chemotherapy, radiotherapy and weekly blood tests.
But the West Ham fan will now get the chance to meet some famous faces from TV when they play at Ashford United’s Homelands stadium on Sunday, January 26.
The match will feature the likes of EastEnders actor Jake Wood and this year’s Love Island star Ronnie Vint, as well former footballer Neil Ruddock - the ex-Liverpool centre-back who lives in the town.
It has been set up by Sellebrity Soccer which organises large-scale football matches to raise money for charities and worthy causes.
Other celebrities due to attend include TV personality Calum Best, Dan Osborne from The Only Way is Essex, EastEnders actor Dean Gaffney and former cricketer Monty Panesar.
It comes as Leslie continues to await the effects of his latest round of radiotherapy as part of his treatment at The Royal Marsden hospital in London.
His mum, Jessica, says the match could be “massive” for her son - who was due to start school in September.
She says she first thought something was wrong last Christmas when he became extremely lethargic and suffering fevers and long-term belly pains.
After she took him to Faversham Urgent Treatment Centre and was referred to Medway Maritime Hospital, she was originally told it was just a tummy ache.
Yet after her worst fears were realised in the spring, the 32-year-old, who lives with Leslie and his two sisters, Josie and Alisha, says recent months have been simply “overwhelming”.
“He seems better in himself and has been running around the house like a little boy,” she said.
“He’s very brave, definitely fighting and seems healthy in himself.
“His levels are sort of all over the place from the radiotherapy so he hasn’t been able to have chemotherapy for a little while so it’s all a bit up in the air at the minute.
“We’ll also be waiting for the results of a CT scan in the next few weeks.
“So I’m taking it day-by-day and going along as best as I can and have help from my girls.
“But I still find it all quite overwhelming and feel like I’m running on adrenaline.”
Those wishing to attend the match at Homelands can do so by clicking here.
Standard tickets cost £12, with VIP tickets £40 plus a booking fee. The match will kick off at 3pm.