Family of Liverpool and England footballer Jordan Henderson launch appeal to raise money for life-saving equipment at Sunderland Royal Hospital

Brian Henderson was treated by the team Sunderland Royal Hospital in 2014 after the disease was found in his tongue, throat and lymph glands.

Now, property company boss Brian, and his wife Donna – Jordan’s step mum – from Washington, are leading a campaign to raise £85,000 to buy a high-end endoscopy called a ‘Spectar EndoFlex System’, which uses a small probe placed through the nose to record footage captured during assessments, to help diagnose cancer.

The new equipment will be used by the specialist clinical team including doctors, nurses and speech and language therapists based within the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) department at Sunderland Royal Hospital.

To help raise the money, Donna is preparing to make a 10,000ft tandem skydive at Shotton Airfield in County Durham on Sunday, October 24, while Brian, with Jordan’s support, is auctioning off strips worn by the Liverpool and England midfielder through fans’ groups.

Brian, 66, who still undergoes regular checks, said: “We just want to repay the people who treated me and we want to raise it ourselves. Donna had a parachute jump on her bucket list and when we decided we wanted to raise money, we thought that would be a good way to help.

“We want to get in as much as we can to thank the ENT department for what they have done for me and to really help other people coming in with what I had and other conditions.

“The new equipment is state-of-the-art and will really benefit many patients in the future by helping to diagnose them as quickly as possible.

“I know that 100% I would not be here if it was not for the specialist team in Sunderland and my wife.”

Donna added: “The reason for the jump is to give back a little bit of thanks to the ENT department. The staff were absolutely instrumental in seeing Brian through his care and aftercare and without them I don’t think I would have got through it either.”

The JustGiving page for the appeal can be found via this link and details of the strips being auctioned can be found via Brian’s Instagram account, @daddyhendo14.

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