Albury City Football Club and AWFA have come together in aid of young gun Thomas Keatings.
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Thomas, who turned 18 in March and has played all his junior soccer at Albury City, has had a three-and-a-half year battle with cancer, after an incidental finding of two in a million tumour in his ankle.
The desmoid fibromatosis, or soft tissue sarcoma, has resulted in hundreds of trips to Melbourne for tests, scans, MRI’s, biopsies and treatment.
Thomas had surgery to initially remove the tumour, but it grew back within three months.
I don’t know if Thomas will be back on the field this year, but I will always be grateful for the short time we had at the start of the year when the three of us got on the field together.
- Gary Keatings
Despite regular chemotherapy throughout the period since the diagnosis, it has kept growing back.
Thomas received some promise from MR guided ultrasound therapy, a new trial treatment, but a nine-month follow-up MRI found the tumour had once again started to grow.
He has recently just finished 28 out of 30 rounds of radiotherapy, which has seen him in hospital for the last two weeks with burns to his foot and trouble with pain.
But his passion for soccer lives on, and, thanks to a special exemption from AWFA, Thomas has been able to play a handful of matches alongside his father, Gary, and younger brother, Hamish, for Albury City’s third grade (under 18s) men’s side.
Thomas was really enjoying his time back out on the field, doing what he loves, but his ongoing treatment is likely to prevent him from returning this season.
Gary, a local rugby league stalwart, admitted it has been great to have the opportunity to play alongside his two boys, a chance he never thought he would have.
“The great thing about soccer is you can play into your 40s and beyond, as long as you have the desire to so,” Gary said.
“It was never my plan to play soccer, I had grown up around and been involved in rugby league for a long time, but since my boys decided to give it a go, I became involved.
“I am grateful to Albury City for giving me the chance to play with my two sons, they really are a great family club and have been really supportive.
“I am also thankful to AWFA for allowing me and other mature age players to play alongside youth, it’s a great concept.
“I don’t know if Thomas will be back on the field this year, but I will always be grateful for the short time we had at the start of the year when the three of us got on the field together.
“I can only hope he heals in time and we get another chance (this season).”
Hamish is using his older brother’s situation as inspiration.
“I know how much Thomas enjoyed being out on the field and now when I run out there, I play for him with dad along my side,” Hamish added.