WHEN a football-mad teenager from Connah's Quay complained of a sore arm his family never imagined it would turn out to be cancer.

But that is what happened earlier this year when Jack Joy, now 16, felt an ache in his arm after helping his dad with some work.

Jack's parents, Emma Joy and Daniel Hoofe, took him to Wrexham Maelor on July 15 to be checked out where their "worst nightmare" became a reality.

In the last nine months since being diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma, Jack has travelled to and from the Christie Hospital in Manchester - sometimes daily - to undergo gruelling bouts of treatment.

Now the former Connah's Quay High pupil is scheduled to have an operation to remove his scapula bone, as that is where the cancer originated, followed by a course of radiotherapy on his lungs. Afterwards, he will lose some mobility in his arm but it should leave him healthy and able to study at Deeside College later this year.

Jack's mum, Emma said: "Nine months ago Jack was a normal 15-year-old boy enjoying life. After helping his dad one afternoon, he started complaining of a sore arm and asked me to have a look and see if he had a bruise there. There was no bruise but there was a huge lump on his shoulder.

"I called out of hours and they got him in to have a look, this resulted in him being sent to Wrexham Maelor to be checked out by a paediatrician who took blood tests, different scans and a biopsy. After a torturous wait for the results, our family were told our worst nightmare - our precious son had cancer."

Jack's treatment meant that he had to travel from the family home in Wepre, where he lives with Emma and Daniel and sister Caitlyn, to Manchester for treatment. Sometimes this meant making the round trip every day for four days at a time.

But he has taken it all in his stride.

Emma said: "He has been absolutely amazing.

"He wants to just get back to normality really."

The pandemic has had an impact on Jack's treatment, and his parents will not be able to be close to him when he has his operation.

Emma added: "Only one parent can go in at a time, so usually its been me going with him. When he has operation he'll have to do it all on his own."

Jack has received a message of support from Aston Villa goalkeeper Tom Heaton who sent him a pair of signed gloves and a ball.

Emma added: "For the last eight months we have travelled back and to to Manchester so he can receive the treatment he needed.

"Now we have decided it’s time we gave something back and would love to raise as much money as possible for the hospital.

"So I will be holding a charity night on Saturday, July 17, 2021, at the Cricket Club in Connah's Quay. I’m looking for anybody who would like to kindly donate a gift for us to raffle off and raise as much as we can."

She added: "I want to thank everyone so far for all their amazing donations and kind words."

For more information or to offer items to raffle visit the Jack's Fight Against Cancer Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/jacksfight2021