Advertisement
Sterling paying tribute to the late Damary Dawkins after scoring for England.

Raheem Sterling to pay for funeral of Crystal Palace teen who died after long battle with cancer

13-year-old Damary Dawkins sadly passed away last month.

RAHEEM STERLING WILL pay for the funeral of Damary Dawkins, the Crystal Palace youth player who died of cancer last month at the age of 13.

Dawkins’ family had set up a fundraising page to raise £15,000 for the ceremony after acute lymphoblastic leukaemia ended his life on 17 March, four years after he was diagnosed.

Sterling helped support a campaign to help find a stem cell donor for the teenager, who relapsed in February following a transplant in December.  

The Manchester City star paid tribute to him on the field days after his death when he scored for England against Czech Republic, lifting his shirt to show a picture of him standing with the youngster.

After the match he told ITV: “I thought I had to do something to try to give his family something to smile about.”

Now the 24-year-old will pay for the proceedings to help Dawkins’ family give him a good send off. 

“Damary was a special young man who touched a lot of lives, including my own,” the City star said, describing him as “an example to us all” and praising him for staying “positive until the end”.

The pair enjoyed a close relationship and spoke regularly as Sterling visited the youngster in hospital.

Speaking to the Press Association about Sterling’s tribute during the 5-0 win at Wembley last month, Damary’s father, Tony, said: “It was a pleasant surprise.

“I knew that they used to speak because [Sterling] came down to the hospital, they played pool together and apparently they swapped numbers.

“I remember when Crystal Palace played Manchester City and they lost Damary put on his tracksuit with the Crystal Palace badge and took a picture to send to Raheem. They had banter with each other.

“It was very, very touching and fitting. I know Damary touched his heart.”

And Dawkins’ fight against his disease proved inspirational to his father, as he said: “He fought to the end and I call him a soldier, I take my hat off to him. I’ve got nothing but respect for him.

“No one knew until I said to somebody that he had cancer, they would have never believed it.

“He never, ever complained, he never moaned, all the time he just got on with it and did what he had to do to.

“He never really thought about himself, he just thought about others.”

Subscribe to our new podcast, The42 Rugby Weekly, here:

Author
View 10 comments
Close
10 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy here before taking part.
Leave a Comment
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute William Finnegan
    Favourite William Finnegan
    Report
    Apr 22nd 2019, 2:52 PM

    Liverpool fan but hope Sterling gets POTS. He has been amazing on and off the pitch this season

    169
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Craig
    Favourite Craig
    Report
    Apr 22nd 2019, 5:28 PM

    @William Finnegan: I’m surely he has lots of pots

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute ℝ
    Favourite ℝ
    Report
    Apr 22nd 2019, 9:22 PM

    @William Finnegan: nah, for sure he’s probably had his best season since leaving LFC. But VVD has been absolutely monstrous this season. Consistently way more influential, week in week out regardless of City or LFC winning the Title…

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Eoin Murphy
    Favourite Eoin Murphy
    Report
    Apr 22nd 2019, 2:55 PM

    You can’t not like him honestly

    127
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute running man
    Favourite running man
    Report
    Apr 22nd 2019, 3:26 PM

    @Eoin Murphy: Spot on

    25
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Magnum
    Favourite Magnum
    Report
    Apr 22nd 2019, 3:28 PM

    Class. R.i.p

    35
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Wenger In
    Favourite Wenger In
    Report
    Apr 22nd 2019, 3:36 PM

    Don’t like him as a player because I’m a Liverpool fan but I can’t hate him outside of football

    33
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Willy Motley
    Favourite Willy Motley
    Report
    Apr 22nd 2019, 3:42 PM

    Top lad sterling. 13 though lads , F#€k cancer

    69
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Merlin
    Favourite Merlin
    Report
    Apr 22nd 2019, 6:50 PM

    What a class gesture! Impressive young man is Raheem Sterling, on and off the pitch

    18
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Merlin
    Favourite Merlin
    Report
    Apr 22nd 2019, 6:49 PM

    What a class gesture! Impressive young man is Raheem Sterling, on and off the pitch

    11
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.

Leave a commentcancel