A four-year-old football fan, who’s living with a rare brain tumour, has been treated to a surprise visit to meet her favourite player at her local women’s team.
Sophie Drury, from south Norfolk, was given a bag of goodies by Norwich City Women’s striker Natasha Snelling, and an invitation to be a mascot at one of their home fixtures.
The Canaries got to know Sophie and her family after her dad Marc wrote to them explaining that she was a superfan and that she’d been navigating a challenging illness, which includes trips to Norfolk, Addenbrooke’s and Great Ormond Street Hospitals for tests or treatment.
An escape from her diagnosis
Sophie began experiencing seizures in late 2024. After months of hospital tests was diagnosed with a rare, slow-growing neuronal brain tumour called a DNET last July.
DNET stands for Dysembryoplastic Neuroepithelial Tumour and it’s a tumour associated with chronic, drug-resistant epilepsy. It’s usually found in children and young adults. Surgery is the primary, successful treatment, often leading to freedom from seizures, and this is a pathway her family is exploring.
Amid the emotional and financial strain of the diagnosis, her parents Marc and April took her to a women’s team home match and found a much-needed escape at The Nest – the club’s community hub.
It was there that Sophie fell in love with football, quickly becoming the biggest fan of City striker Natasha Snelling.
Surprise!
Moved by the family’s story, the club and its principal partner Blakely Clothing arranged a tour of the Carrow Road stadium for her family. It ended with a surprise visit from Natasha herself.
Then Sophie was a mascot at the women’s team fixture against London Bees. She was thrilled to walk out onto the pitch side-by-side with her hero. You can watch her reaction on the YouTube film below.
Natasha said afterwards: “It’s been an absolute pleasure to meet Sophie and her family. Hearing what they have all been through recently is heart-breaking. I’m glad as a club we could create something special for her as seeing her face throughout the whole experience is the reason why we do it.
“Sophie really is a big bundle of joy. Her face is just one big smile every time I see her! We look forward to seeing more of Sophie at future games.”
Thank you the Natasha, the club and its partners for bringing such joy to a young member of the brain tumour community.