On a Sunday afternoon, passion and sadness intertwined in English soccer as they broke into the last eight of Europe with a thrilling victory, yet behind this triumph there was a story that brought tears to the eyes. Dylan, a 5 year old fan, died during the England v Slovakia match, leaving the whole world in an uproar.
This little being, named Dylan, was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of one. Last night, he left us 15 minutes into the first half of the 16-goal match between England and Slovakia. His mother Amy posted the sad news on social media, writing, "Dylan left us quietly at 6:15pm, he was in no pain until the very end, he was still talking to us and laughing at ours."
After the game, England star Stones was informed of the sad news and paid tribute to Dylan on the sidelines, stating that the little fighter inspired every player. Manchester City Football Club also said, "Today belongs to Dylan, this special little boy has touched us and my family deeply and his spirit inspires us all." Stones also wished Dylan to find joy in heaven, "Dear Dylan, you are a brave little fighter and we are with you."
Dylan, a huge Manchester City fan, was first diagnosed in 2020 when doctors told him he had a 93% chance of survival. However, over the next three years he underwent excruciating chemotherapy treatments that made his life a living hell.In August 2022, the cancer returned, and in March and August 2023 it returned again. When he didn't find out he had leukemia, his mother, Amy, thought he was just injured because of his love of soccer.
In December 2022, Amy underwent a bone transplant. Manchester City FC hosted a test match for Dylan, which Stones attended, to raise money for Dylan's medical expenses. His girlfriend, Olivia Naylor, also donated £20,000 However, unfortunately the cancer returned and it was difficult to find a reputable doctor in the UK. They were flown to Washington, D.C. in the U.S. to seek further treatment, but in the end, the little life was unable to fight the disease.
