A REDDITCH Sunday League football team will be hosting their fourth annual charity match in memory of a close friend who passed away four years ago.
VKL United will take on The Bees at Redditch United’s Trico Stadium on Saturday (7pm kick-off) in honour of former player Vinay Kishor Ladwa who died in September 2013.
Money raised from the match will be donated to the Birmingham Children’s Hospital where Vinay spent 18 years of life.
Stephen Spencer, assistant manager at VKL United, said: “The success which we have had from previous charity events has been staggering and overwhelming.
“We are really hopeful that these event’s continue to get better and better, year in, year out.
“The event is not just about raising money for a fantastic hospital, it is also about celebrating Vinay’s life.
“It enables all of us to keep Vinay’s memory alive and that means so much to everybody who knew him.”
Vinay was born on January 18, 1989 with a kidney disorder and spent the majority of his life attending Birmingham Children’s Hospital several times a week for his dialysis before being moved to QE at the age of 18.
His conditioned worsened as he got older which meant he was in dire need of a kidney and liver transplant and on June 19, 2013, he received news he could undergo the surgery.
Unfortunately, following the transplant, Vinay’s condition took a turn for the worse as he was fighting a chest infection during his recovery, from which he suffered a fatal stroke leaving him with an aneurysm on the brain.
Despite efforts to remove the aneurysm, it ruptured on September 9 leaving Vinay needing the help of machinery to stay alive.
Just a day later Vinay sadly passed away with his friends and family surrounding him at his bedside.
In honour of Vinay, Mr Spencer said his friends and family got together to set up a football team using his name as initials, hence VKL United.
