Parents receive heartwarming gift to honour the memory of young Sheffield Wednesday supporter Jude
“It’s a lovely thing to have in our house and knowing our kids’ face is on the wall near Hillsborough is incredible.”
The parents of a five-year-old boy who died of cancer say it’s a ‘lovely thing’ to have a miniature model honouring their son’s memory in their home.
Jude Mellon-Jameson, a young Sheffield Wednesday fan, was diagnosed with high-risk neuroblastoma in 2021 when he was just three-years-old. He died in his parents arms two years later in September 2023.
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His memory has since been honoured on Luke Horton’s mural near the iconic Hillsborough Stadium. The mural which was unveiled last year, was done in collaboration with the PACT (Parents’ Association of Children with Tumours and Leukaemia) a charity, which offers support to the children and the parents of youngsters who are undergoing treatment for cancer or leukaemia.
Jude’s parents, including father Arron, a former Owls goalkeeper, and mother Lucy, from Woodhouse Mill, are trustees for the charity and attended the mural's unveiling.
The mural which honours the memory of a number of deceased Owls fans - features a nod towards Jude, who his parents branded a 'real-life superstar' and 'pure magic'.
And now a year to the day, the family also have their own miniature version of the mural in their own home.
It all came about when Lucy reached out to Damien Kennedy, a talented model-maker and the founder of Model Turnstiles where he produces football-themed art for an array of clubs.
He caught the attention of many Owls fans on social media when he created a model version of Luke Horton’s artwork.
Lucy said: “The mural honours fans and many that have been through a really tough time. When I saw Damian’s work on social media I reached out to try and buy one from him.
“But he refused to take any money. And kindly offered to make one for free. It’s a lovely thing to have in our house and knowing our kids’ face is on the wall near Hillsborough is incredible. We are both trustees of the charity it is for and it feels full circle to have a minute version at home.”
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She also went on to praise the work of the PACT charity and the support that it offers children and families in some of their most challenging chapters.
Lucy said: “Next year is the charity's 50th birthday. And generally people don’t know about the charity until they have a child suffering from cancer.
“They do incredible things to ensure children suffering from cancer can have breakfast together everyday. They often offer families a place to stay together and fund all sorts of amazing things like trips - where people can go on free holidays in caravans and just spend valuable time together and make memories.”
Today (29 July) marks the 12-month anniversary of Luke Horton’s mural being unveiled.
Damien said: “I feel very proud and grateful that I can do something for them. I just wanted to do anything I could for the families.”
Anyone wishing to make a donation to the PACT charity can do so via the link.