Easington run raises four-figure sum to help local woman in need

Boxers from Easington Boxing Club have raised more than £5,000 to help pay for a local woman’s potentially life-saving treatment.

Mum Emma Selby, 38, has been diagnosed with three brain tumours that doctors believe can be treated with immunotherapeutic dendritic cell therapy – a drug-free treatment which extracts the patient’s blood to be medically altered to make it super-fighting, before it is re-injected back into the body.

It could cost as much as £90,000 for the specialist treatment, leading to a campaign being launched to raise money.

It has already yielded more than £18,000 and been boosted significantly by Easington’s sponsored run last Saturday (28th November), which saw them run the five miles and back to Peterlee, where Emma lives.

All the boxers wore their boxing gloves to demonstrate on the run that they were ‘fighting Emma’s corner’.

Easington took up the challenge as Emma (pictured below with son Thomas) is the aunt of one of the club’s boxers, Sam Selby.

Club chairman Bruce Harriman said he was ‘immensely proud’ of those who had taken part, adding: “What an absolute excellent bunch of young people we have at Easington Boxing Gym.

“My faith in youth is uplifted. Those who ran can look back on it  as they go through the journey of life and regardless of what path they take, can look back and reflect that they did something really good, not for reward or recognition, but to help another who needed it.

“They showed integrity, stepped up when needed and stood shoulder to shoulder for a common purpose. It’s character building and what good people are about. They are all stars in my eyes.

“I would like to take this opportunity to also thank the parents, volunteer marshals and runners for taking part.”

Anyone who may wish to donate to the cause can click here.