A group of friends are preparing to walk 20 miles in support of their close friend Leon Skapars, a devoted father-of-three and passionate Everton FC supporter from Southport who is courageously battling terminal cancer.
The group, who have been friends with Leon for more than 20 years, will walk from Southport Football Club in Southport to Everton Football Club’s new home, Hill Dickinson Stadium, in Liverpool on Sunday, 2nd August 2026, raising vital funds to help Leon access potentially life-saving treatment options.
Leon, 35, is a proud partner to Crystal, and is a devoted dad to three young boys aged 10, 4 and 2 years old.
He is a self-employed plasterer who has spent years working tirelessly to provide for his family.
A GoFundMe page has been set up with an initial target of £5,000.
Leon has been diagnosed with sarcomatoid renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with rhabdoid features and necrosis, a rare and highly aggressive form of kidney cancer.
Leon, known by friends, family and customers as “one of the hardest-working and most genuine people you could ever mee”, is now facing the toughest challenge of his life.
Lewis Mungo, a close friend and joiner who has worked alongside Leon, said:
“On site, Leon’s always been the first one in and the last one out the door, thinking ahead and making sure everyone is looked after.
“That’s just who he is.”
Following three months of immunotherapy treatment, the cancer continued to spread.
Doctors have advised that treatment available through the NHS can now only help slow the progression of the disease.
Determined to keep fighting, Leon’s friends are now raising funds to access innovative treatments that are not currently available to him on the NHS.
Leon has recently started a new treatment, which they are hopeful will help slow the progression of his cancer.
He is due to have a scan in approximately eight weeks’ time, almost coinciding with the walk, to determine whether the medication is working.
If the treatment is not effective, this will be a critical point in his care journey.
This creates a real race against time to raise the necessary support and resources while there is still a window to act.
Every penny raised will go directly towards supporting Leon and his family throughout their journey.
This includes helping to fund access to additional treatment options, as well as easing the financial pressures that come with a terminal cancer diagnosis and supporting family needs.
Merseyside Mobilises for Urgent Crowdfunding Campaign
Joe Fillis, one of the walkers, said:
“Everyone wants to do their bit. People are giving up their time; businesses are getting involved and friends and family are rallying round.
“It shows just how much Leon means to so many people.”
His friends are equally determined to stand beside him every step of the way.
Paul Mills said:
“Leon is one of the best people you’ll ever meet.
“He’s the sort of person who would drop everything to help someone else, without ever expecting anything in return. Now it’s our turn to be there for him.
“We want Leon, his fiancée and his three boys to know they’re not facing this battle alone.”
Crystal Duffey said:
“Leon is a devoted dad to three young sons aged 2, 4 and 10, who are his whole world.
“He has spent the last 18 years grafting hard as a self-employed plasterer, and anyone who knows Leon will tell you what a genuinely kind and decent man he is.
“He is the first person to offer a helping hand to anyone that needs it. Leon is now fighting for his life after being diagnosed with one of the most aggressive forms of kidney cancer and has been given just 1–3 years to live. I
“’m facing the reality of losing the man I planned my life with. We’ve gone from building our future, to fighting for every extra moment together.
“It has been heart breaking to watch Leon go through so much already since his diagnosis. Please help me keep our family together.
“If you can, please donate whatever you are able, every single pound could help give Leon more time, more memories, and more precious moments with his children.
“There is truly no amount too small.”
The nine friends are now appealing to businesses, community organisations and members of the public across Merseyside, West Lancashire and beyond to support the fundraiser through sponsorship and donations.
A GoFundMe page has been set up with an initial target of £5,000, and a Facebook page is now live (Walk for Leon), allowing people to follow updates and track the group’s progress as preparations continue.
The walk will finish at Everton Football Club’s new Hill Dickinson Stadium, a fitting tribute to a lifelong Evertonian whose friends are determined to show him that, in the face of the toughest challenge imaginable, he will never walk alone.
The walkers are Mark Cooper, Joe Fillis, Sam Hodson Hodson, Lewis Mungo, Paul Mills, Ric Mills, Sean Lynch, Stu Rimmer, and Sean Burns.
You can find the go funding page here and follow on Facebook here.
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