Players from Hoppers Crossing Soccer Club are rallying to support one of their most loyal supporters.
Werribee mother-of-three Charlotte Smart was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year.
Her sons – Kevin, Alister and Steven – and husband Ken all play for the club, with Charlotte attending every home game.
Kevin, Alister, Steven and Ken will shave their heads after this Saturday’s match at Grange Reserve to raise money for the McGrath Foundation.
They will be joined by four other players from 3pm, and they hope to raise $5000 for the charity. More than $3000 has already been raised.
Kevin, 27, says his mum is the “rock” of the family.
He says he often hears her thick Scottish accent from the sidelines as she cheers on her boys.
“She’s the strongest lady I know,” Kevin says. “She’s always inspired us all and is always there whenever we need her. We want to give something back to her.”
Charlotte, 56, says a TV advertisement about breast cancer inspired her to get a mammogram earlier this year. Her world stood still when a lump was found.
“Everything just flooded through my mind and I couldn’t think properly,” she says. ‘‘It was hard to digest what was happening.
‘‘Since I have been diagnosed, a lot of my friends have gone on to be tested so creating that awareness among people is crucial.”
Within weeks, she underwent surgery to have the lump removed. She started chemotherapy and radiotherapy last week.
“I couldn’t believe it because I had no symptoms,” she says.
“You always think, ‘It will never happen to me’.
‘‘I think that is the most important thing for women to know – that they should get checked regularly even when they have no symptoms.”
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