A Perth cancer fighter has thanked St Johnstone skipper Liam Gordon from the bottom of his heart after receiving a special video message.
Big Saints fan Phil Heller was diagnosed with oral cancer at the start of the year and has started undergoing chemotherapy treatment.
The 71-year-old, who has supported the Fair City club ever since moving north in 1982, is tackling his diagnosis with determination, openness and positivity.
He was overjoyed to receive the kind-hearted gesture from the caring Saints captain. It provided a “massive” boost.
Part of the message read: “I want you to keep fighting hard, keep doing your thing and the smile on your face.
“Hopefully we will see you at McDiarmid Park soon and, when we do, we’ll get a blether. All the best from myself and all of the players.”
Phil reacted: “The video from Liam Gordon was totally unexpected. It gave me a massive boost that he and the club had taken the time to do it.
“I would like to thank Liam from the bottom of my heart. There is no way he can realise how massive a boost he gave me.
“Saints have never been the best at singing their own praises but this is typical of what they do behind the scenes, especially since they employed Bev (Mayer) as Supporter Liaison Officer (SLO).”
Explaining his affection for the club, Phil added: “I have supported Saints since moving to Perth in 1982 and had a flat overlooking Muirton Park for a few months.
“I have so many great memories of travelling all over the country with Saints but the best has to be the first Scottish Cup win. My only sorrow is that circumstances conspired against me so that I’ve never managed to see Saints play abroad.
“Saints in the Community have been lifesavers over the years with things like the FFIT club and, lately, the fortnightly walking club which I’m really missing.”
Phil, who thanked NHS staff for treating him with “nothing but compassion”, decided to speak out about his cancer diagnosis to help himself and others.
“Until a couple of years ago I had never been seriously ill until I had a heart attack in 2021,” Phil told the PA.
“I decided to go public over my cancer as it is still a taboo subject with many people and I want to highlight that talking about it openly helps not only yourself but those that you come into contact with.
“I have been totally overwhelmed by the responses I’ve had since I decided to let the world know I had cancer.
“My brother Neil and his wife dropped everything and popped up from The Wirral to give me a boost.
“I’ve had words of encouragement from fans of Tranmere Rovers, my hometown team until we moved to Perth in 1982.
“Via Facebook and Twitter I’ve had nothing but encouragement. All of which has helped drag me from the bottom of the pit to being totally determined to beat this horrible disease.”
A recent fundraiser - where Phil had his head shaved - has raised more than £1000 for Cornhill Macmillan Centre. That figure is continuing to rise.
He said: “With the help of wife Winnie, sons Kevin and Colin, daughter-in-law Layna and granddaughters Katy and Emmy we decided to do a sponsored ‘bald cut’ to raise funds for Cornhill to aid all the great work they do.
“I thought we might be lucky to raise £250 but decided to go for £500. I have been staggered to smash that with just over £1000 already. This has included several donations of up to £50 from people I don’t even know.
“All this has boosted my positivity levels and my determination to reach goals in life like our Golden Anniversary next year.”
You can donate to Phil’s fundraising page at: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/phil-heller-is-going-bald
