Little Hammer Archie Webb got a fantastic Christmas surprise when he met his hero Jarrod Bowen at London Stadium!
A lifelong and devoted West Ham United fan, Archie was born premature and was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, a lifelong condition that affects movement and co-ordination.
Archie was scheduled to undergo selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) surgery, a neurosurgical procedure aimed at reducing the spasticity in his lower limbs by cutting selective nerve roots in the spinal cord, at London’s Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital in December. The operation should help Archie walk more easily and have a better quality of life as he gets older, enabling him to do things like driving a car that will improve his independence.
Captain Bowen sent Archie a video message wishing him the best but, when the surgery was delayed and rescheduled for January, meaning he will be spending his tenth birthday in hospital, the forward invited his family to London Stadium for a very special pre-Christmas visit.
Archie told Jarrod how he had cried when he saw the No20 score his UEFA Europa Conference League final winner, before the skipper presented him with a bagful of goodies and invited him to be a mascot when he has recovered from his surgery.
Everyone at West Ham United wishes Archie all the best and looks forward to welcoming him to London Stadium in 2025!