Sunderland AFC's Luke O'Nien praises bravery of young cancer patient Oliver Maw and sends good luck message to firefighters running 200 miles in full kit to support him

On Friday, March 31, a team of 13 firefighters from Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) will run across the country from Newcastle to Leicester, taking on the 200-mile trek in full kit.

The route equates to nearly six million combined steps and will see the life-savers raise funds for eight-year-old Oliver Maw from Millfield.

Football-mad Oliver has been battling a rare form of cancer since being diagnosed in February 2021 and his family and friends are raising money for life-saving treatment in America.

The Diamond Hall School pupil is fighting neuroblastoma and has undergone treatment at Newcastle’s RVI but, with a high risk of relapse, the community has rallied round to raise the £260,000 needed for a potentially life-saving vaccine treatment, with £160,000 raised so far.

Luke sent a message to the firefighters ahead of their trek and praised Oliver who he described as “an incredibly brave and inspirational young boy so please please donate kindly to get OIiver the treatment he needs.”

Oliver’s uncle, Peter Wilson, is a Crew Manager at TWFRS and he and his colleagues have undertaken a host of fundraising for the schoolboy, who is a triplet with brothers Oscar and Owen.

Peter isn’t able to take part in the run but will be cheering his TWFRS colleagues on when they set off from the Great North Children’s Hospital in Newcastle, and he is also hoping to be there at the finishing line.

Watch Manager Graeme Taylor, who works alongside him, will be joined by colleagues from Gateshead, Tynemouth, Gosforth, Barmston Mere, South Shields, Sunderland Central and Washington.

“Oliver is an inspiration to us all. He has had to overcome so much in his eight years but if you meet him his smile is infectious and there is always a friendly wave to everyone,” said Graeme.

“The firefighting blue light family always sticks together and it’s heart-warming to see everyone coming together to try and create a better life for Oliver.

“We are all proud to be running for such an amazing cause.”

The team are running to Leicester because back in October 2022 firefighters from Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) heard about Oliver’s fundraiser and wanted to do their bit.

They decided to take on a mammoth challenge, and ran from their Leicestershire base up to Newcastle in an impressive 30-hours.

Once they crossed the finishing line the firefighters handed over the charity baton to colleagues from TWFRS who happily accepted the return challenge.

The 13 North East firefighters will be setting off at 7.30am on Friday morning before arriving in Leicester city centre on Saturday afternoon where they will be reunited with their LFRS colleagues.

Graeme said: “Oliver’s bravery matched with the generosity of our fellow firefighters at Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service has totally inspired us to pick up the baton and quite literally help the crews to run for Oliver’s life.”

Oliver, who is an avid Sunderland AFC fan, will also cheer the runners on.

The brave eight-year-old said: “I just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who is trying their best to try and get me better.

“I can’t wait to be able to have a proper kick about with my brothers and friends and not have to worry about my treatment.

“You are all just the best! Ha'way the lads and lasses.”

There are two Just Giving pages, one for the Run for Oliver and the overall fundraising page Olivers Fight Against Neuroblastoma