Following National Burns Awareness Day, the story of Academy player Charlie Whalley is being further celebrated at this weekend’s game against Stoke City.
Charlie is a burn survivor, having sustained burns to ten per cent of his body at just 15 months old. He required skin graft surgery and his treatment continued for over nine years.
He and his mum Michelle have co-written the book ‘Charlie’s Story’ to share their experience of Charlie living with a burn injury for much of his life.
The book has been partly funded by Preston North End and Preston North End Community and Education Trust.
‘Charlie’s Story’ is supporting other burns survivors by providing them with a resource that details how he and his family recovered from the burn and continued to enjoy life, including his experience of representing the Preston North End Academy, now at U14 level.
The book will be shared in burns units of hospitals throughout the UK and is also available as a free resource. Copies can be requested online.
Charlie and his mum visited three Preston primary schools with PNECET to raise awareness of burns prevention earlier this week and also had the opportunity to meet Ryan Lowe and the first team squad at the Euxton training ground.
Copies of the book will also be available in the fan zone at Deepdale this weekend, with donations to the Children’s Burns Trust encouraged. The Children’s Burns Trust have provided significant support to the Whalley family following Charlie’s injury.
To further celebrate the launch of the book, the Preston North End first team squad will wear warm-up t-shirts ahead of the fixture against Stoke City bearing the cover image of ‘Charlie’s Story’.
For more information about Charlie’s Story and to donate to the campaign, in support of the Children’s Burns Trust, please click here. To request a copy of ‘Charlie’s Story’, please click here.