A teenager who risks having a seizure every time he plays football is still able to enjoy the sport he loves through free sessions adapted for him by Newcastle United Foundation.

Sixteen-year-old Callum lives with mitochondrial disease - a complex disorder that affects the body’s ability to generate energy, making it harder for organs to function normally.

But despite facing serious side effects has not let the disease stop him from enjoying football through his bond with Regan Graham, a Premier League Kicks Project Coordinator at Newcastle United Foundation.

Regan first got to know Callum while delivering PE lessons with the Foundation at The Grove SEN School in Berwick, Northumberland. And after seeing his love for sport and staying active, Regan invited Callum to Premier League Kicks - free, weekly football sessions for young people in community venues across Newcastle, North Tyneside, and Northumberland.

Regan said: "Kicks has been such a different environment for Callum to work within as he has attended a special needs school from an early age, so at the session, he has had to mix in with other young people he has never met before which has increased his confidence levels.

"With Callum having mitochondrial disease, he can only participate in a small portion of our session before the risk of a seizure occurring really increases.

"Despite this, I don’t think I’ve seen so much love for the game of football from any other participant while I’ve been running Kicks sessions in Berwick than what Callum shows.

"Unfortunately, with Callum suffering from a number of seizures away from Kicks, the best decision for him is to not attend Kicks as we run-up to Christmas as it was too much of a risk for him - but that just meant we had to find an alternative.

“For three weeks I’ve met with Callum and his mum before Kicks sessions so we could have a little one-to-one kickabout, so Callum still experiences the game he loves so much in the safest environment for him.”

Callum’s enthusiasm sees him staying after his adapted session to help coaches at Kicks in Berwick to set up football pitches and equipment at The Swan Centre, getting the most out of the opportunity to play and enjoy sport safely.

A portion of the Premier League Kicks programme in Berwick is funded by Bernicia Group, a leading North East housing association, owning and managing 14,000 properties from Berwick-upon-Tweed to Redcar, providing homes and services to more than 60,000 residents.

Regan added: "Callum is a credit to himself to show such positive character in every experience he goes through, even the really bad ones. Working with children like Callum fills me with joy and makes me realise I have the best job in the world working for Newcastle United Foundation.

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