Bucks boy living with cancer walks out as Everton's mascot

The 11-year-old from Flackwell Heath went onto the pitch before the team played Sunderland on Sunday.

Kaiden Edwards, accompanied by Everton and England midfielder James Garner, donned oversized Everton kit emblazoned with the words "2 BIG" to launch Children with Cancer UK's new '2 BIG' fundraising campaign. With many children with cancer receiving treatments designed for adults - often with life-altering side affects - the campaign calls for safer, more effective cancer treatments specifically for young people.

The Premier League match yesterday (Sunday 17th May) also took place on what would have been the 15th birthday of Bradley Lowery, a young Sunderland fan who died from cancer in 2017 aged just six years old. Everton and Sunderland supporters came together to mark the occasion, with a banner in his honour stretching from the upper tier of the North East corner down into the lower section housing visiting fans - a powerful reflection of the shared respect held for Bradley across both clubs.

You can find out more about Kaiden and Bradley's stories and the 2 BIG campaign below:

Kaiden's story

Kaiden's journey began in October 2021 when he started experiencing dizziness, headaches and sickness. After months of uncertainty and repeated GP visits, an MRI confirmed a brain tumour in June 2022. Kaiden received various treatments including surgery to remove the tumour, Proton beam therapy and seven months of chemotherapy before completing treatment in June 2023. Sadly, in March 2024, Kaiden's family were informed the cancer has returned to Kaiden's spinal cord and the tumour is inoperable. Since then Kaiden has had a port fitted to his head to deliver chemotherapy directly - the same treatment which is given to adults.

Kaiden's treatment journey has impacted every part of his daily life. His mother, Kathryn Edwards explains: "We try not to look too far ahead because childhood cancer teaches you to take things one day at a time. My hope is always for tomorrow; that Kaiden is comfortable, that he's smiling, that he gets to enjoy moments like today. Kaiden has been fighting this disease for nearly four years, and throughout that time we've seen the impact treatment can have on a growing child's body. No child should have to endure treatments that were originally designed for adults when there is the potential for kinder, more targeted options.

"Seeing him walk out at the match as mascot means so much to us as a family, and we're incredibly grateful to Children with Cancer UK for giving him this opportunity and for helping shine a light on what children like Kaiden go through. That's why campaigns like this matter so much. They give families like ours hope that things can change for future children diagnosed with cancer."

Bradley Lowery's legacy

Bradley became a symbol of hope and inspiration through the courage he showed in his fight against Stage 4 high-risk neuroblastoma, a rare and aggressive form of childhood cancer. He forged a special bond with Evertonians when he appeared as Sunderland's mascot against the Blues at the Stadium of Light in September 2016. Following that fixture, Everton Chairman at the time, Bill Kenwright, made a £200,000 donation to support Bradley's treatment. That connection was further strengthened when Bradley returned for the reverse fixture at Goodison Park in January 2017, where he was carried onto the pitch in his Sunderland kit by Everton striker, Romelu Lukaku. Bradley sadly passed away later that year, aged six, but his legacy continues to resonate across the game.

As part of that ongoing legacy, Bradley's parents, Carl and Gemma, attended the match as guests of the Club, having also joined Everton earlier in the season during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. The Bradley Lowery Foundation, established in his memory, continues to support families fundraising for treatment and equipment not readily available through the NHS, while also funding vital research into neuroblastoma and other childhood cancers. Both Everton and Sunderland maintain a close connection with the Foundation, supporting its work through donations, awareness and experiences for children living with cancer.

The "2 BIG" Campaign

Children with Cancer UK has worked for over 35 years to provide practical and emotional support to families from diagnosis through treatment and beyond, while also raising funds to improve survival rates and reduce the devastating lifelong side effects many children are left to endure.

Over half of childhood cancer survivors will experience long term side effects, also known as 'late effects' because of their cancer, or their cancer treatment. Examples of late effects include heart failure, decreased mobility, fertility problems, deafness, dental problems and growth issues.

Just 2% of cancer research funding is directed towards children and young people, and a staggering 50% of childhood cancer survivors experiencing long-term side effects linked to treatments originally developed for adults, the simple visual reflected a far more complex reality; children like Kaiden are still receiving cancer drugs and treatment protocols designed for adults.

The 2 BIG campaign highlights the urgent need for investment into childhood cancer research and the development of treatments designed specifically for children. 

Gavin Maggs, from Children With Cancer UK, said: "Every day in the UK, 10 families receive the devastating news that their child has cancer, and two of those diagnoses will be terminal. Of those who survive, more than half will go on to live with long-term side effects caused by the treatments used to save them.

"At Children with Cancer UK, our mission is to create a world where every child and young person not only survives cancer, but thrives and lives a long, healthy life. Funding research into safer and kinder treatments is a vital part of that mission, because too many children are still receiving drugs that were never designed with their growing bodies in mind.

"Our new 2 BIG campaign is about helping people understand that children deserve treatments developed specifically for them. With continued support, we can fund the groundbreaking research that will bring us closer to more personalised therapies and better outcomes for children and families facing cancer."

To support this work, the oversized shirt worn by Kaiden, signed by the Everton team, will be auctioned later in the year, with all proceeds going to fund vital childhood cancer research.

You can donate and support research into childhood and young adult cancers by clicking here.