A six-year-old schoolboy was selected to be a mascot for Rangers FC after the tragic death of his father. Alex Ritchie's dad Pete learned he had bile duct cancer earlier this year and passed away last month at the age of 39.
Superfit Pete preparing for the London Marathon when the family were given the bombshell diagnosis and told by doctor's he only had months left to live.. His passing leaves behind his heartbroken wife Sadie and children Alex and one-year-old Isabella.
The distraught family struggled through those trying months but the Gers stepped in to lift their spirits, offering young Alex the chance to be the mascot for the Champions League fixture with Ajax.
Alex's mum Sheryl told Glasgow Live : "Pete went to hospital with stomach pains late May this year, suspecting food poisoning but after an MRI scan was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer) and given three to six months to live. Pete started chemo in the summer which initially looked positive but contracted an infection in August which put a stop to his chemo and meant the cancer spread aggressively.
"Pete made the decision to stop all hospital treatment in September and spent his last days at home surrounded by his many friends and family who gave him amazing support. He died a week after his 39th birthday.
"Despite Pete being a Celtic fan Alex and I are Rangers daft and are season ticket holders at Ibrox and Alex was invited to the MyGers Halloween party this year. I was thanking the organiser Natalie Nairn for inviting Alex and explained what it meant us due to everything that was going on and Natalie and her colleague Paige Brown invited Alex to be a mascot for the Ajax game. He had an absolute ball."
Rangers say they were just happy to help Alex through this 'tough time.'
A spokesperson said: “Rangers were delighted to welcome Alex to Ibrox as a mascot for our recent game with Ajax.
“Alex has had such a tough time of late, and the club were determined to try and lift his spirits in any way we could.
“We’re so pleased to hear he had such a good time lining up alongside our first-team.”
After his diagnosis Pete posted on Linkedin to share his news with the world and the post has been viewed almost 7million times. He explained how after learning the tragic news he had proposed to his wife Sadie, and went along to Hampden to see Liam Gallagher, who dedicated a song in his honour. He also thanked the staff at Edinburgh Western General.
He said: "A massive thank you to the incredible people at the NHS Scotland and all the chemotherapy nurses in Ward 1. I’m in awe of what you do and I’m forever grateful for the support and care. A very special group of people. People who get up every day to try and make other people’s lives better. An ethos we should all aspire to have."
Pete's wife Sadie set up a fundraiser in her husband's memory for the AMMF - the only Cholangiocarcinoma charity in the UK, and has already raised more than £7,000 .
The page states: "In Pete's memory, and in lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be sent to AMMF, which is what Pete asked for. AMMF are the UK's only Cholangiocarcinoma (Bile Duct Cancer) charity who are dedicated to tackling this devastating cancer on all fronts, providing information and support, campaigning to raise awareness, and encouraging and supporting research. This charity provided many resources for us when we were trying to understand this cancer and get more information.
"Please don’t feel pressured to donate, but if you could spare a few pounds it would be greatly appreciated. It would be a nice touch when you donate if you could leave a little message or memory of Pete." To donate to the fundraiser in Pete's memory, visit the JustGiving Page here.
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