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Evertonian Shaun Out To Kick Cancer Following Goodison Visit

Determined Everton fan Shaun Loughran aims to kick cancer for good following an emotional visit to Goodison Park - just five weeks after undergoing brain surgery.

The 41-year-old father of two, from Prestatyn, is undertaking a daily keepy-uppy challenge throughout November in aid of the Bobby Moore Fund to aid Cancer Research.

Shaun had treatment for bowel and liver cancer halted in October after a scan revealed a tumour at the back of his head.

After the operation was a success, he was determined to fundraise by performing daily keepy-uppies at a number of northern landmarks, including Liverpool Cathedral, Snowdonia, St Asaph Cathedral & Ruthin Castle in north Wales - and even Anfield.

But it was a trip to Goodison to meet one of his Everton heroes, Graham Stuart, that has provided the highlight of Shaun's month-long adventure.

“I’m absolutely blown away and I can’t believe it," he said. "I’ve been an Evertonian all my life, following in my dad’s footsteps, so to have a kickabout with Graham on the pitch is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“The challenge all started when I saw something shared online about the Bobby Moore Fund and it seemed perfect for me, to help raise money and awareness of bowel cancer.

“I used to play football a long time ago, and you don’t realise until something like this comes along how much you take things for granted, as you get older.

“I just thought I’d go with it and be able to roll back the years, but I did struggle with my breath and thankfully it’s got a little easier as it’s gone on.

“I did 57 keepy-uppies at Anfield and was determined to beat that at Everton, so that was a result!”


Shaun’s health issues started during the pandemic in January 2020, when he was diagnosed with advanced bowel cancer, which quickly spread to his liver.

Following chemotherapy and surgery, he was given the all-clear in January 2021, only to be told twice that the cancer had returned earlier this year – including while he was on honeymoon.

“The pandemic made everything 10 times worse early on,” recalled Shaun. “Having to go for treatment on your own and seeing what was going on in hospitals was a challenge in itself.

“I went the whole of 2021 getting better and fitter and keeping up with the three-month scans, but in February 2022, I was told the cancer was back in my liver.

“I had more surgery in May to remove it and then, after my partner, Jenni, and I got married in August 2022, we were on the first day of our honeymoon when I got a call telling me it had come back again, this time in my liver and abdomen.

“I spent the rest of my honeymoon knowing I was living with it again and they said the abdomen was more serious, so I had to go to the Christie Hospital in Manchester to get that treated.”

However, it was early into that latest round of therapy that a precautionary scan, following a bout of headaches, revealed a more serious setback.

“As soon as we found out it was a growth on the back of the brain, it needed urgent surgery at the Walton Centre in Aintree to remove the tumour,” explained Shaun, who has a daughter, Grace, 8, and a five-year-old son, Oliver.

“That halted my chemotherapy, as it was more important to treat the tumour, so we went ahead with brain surgery five weeks ago and I’m really pleased with how quickly my body has bounced back.

“I was out of hospital 48 hours later and hopefully, once the scans in the next few weeks come back positive, I can get back on my plan to sort out the cancer.

“I can’t thank the doctors enough, and I think I’ve shocked everyone with the speed of my recovery, so when I saw this Bobby Moore challenge, I thought ‘I’ve got this in me’.

“I’ve had treatment throughout, and it’s been physically exhausting. Just getting out of bed can be a challenge at the moment, but I would say to anyone who is going through something similar, you have to help yourself first and have a plan for each day, just to help get you through.”


Shaun’s daily keepy-uppies, chronicled on his Facebook page, has seen him smash through his initial £2,000 fund-raising target with a few days still to go.

And Club Ambassador Graham Stuart, who helped Shaun warm up for his ball-juggling challenge, described him as an “inspiration”.

He said: “Shaun is a huge Evertonian, so the obvious place to come and show his skills is at Goodison.

“He’s has had his difficult moments, but like most people who have things going against them, he’s dug deep to do things for other people and he’s a shining example to others.

“He’s unfortunately had a brain tumour, which in itself is an incredibly difficult thing to recover from.

“On top of that, he has liver and bowel cancer as well, but he’s an inspiration. He doesn’t let anything stop him and every credit to him.

“He has raised plenty of money for Cancer Research already, and hopefully this will push others on to contribute and help boost the total.”

Fans can still donate to Shaun’s efforts at https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/shauns-bobby-moore-fund-keepy-uppy-challenge-giving-page-9

The Bobby Moore Keepy-Uppy Challenge is a nationwide charity event, aiming to raise vital funds in memory of England’s World Cup winning England captain, who sadly died from bowel cancer in 1993, aged just 51.

Organised in conjunction with Cancer Research UK, the challenge invites members of the public to complete a set number of keepy-uppies each day throughout November in aid of bowel cancer research.

Since Bobby’s death, the fund set up by his widow, Stephanie Moore OBE, has seen bowel cancer mortality rates fall by over 30%. However, 46 people still lose their life to the disease every day in the UK.