St Neots toddler becomes Potton football mascot after recovery

A little boy who was given a 20% chance of survival has become the mascot of the football club where his father works.

One-year-old Harry Jackson, from St Neots, Cambridgeshire, was left fighting for his life after falling seriously ill while on holiday in Greece.

After suffering from septic shock, doctors discovered that he had been born with a twisted abdomen.

Dad Gary Jackson said the idea for the mascot, at Potton United, was to “introduce him again and say thank you to everyone”.

On October 17, while on vacation in Crete, Harry fell seriously ill.

Mr Jackson is the assistant manager at non-league Potton in Bedfordshire, with the club helping to raise funds for his son’s treatment and bringing him home.

He was transferred to Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge on December 17 and on March 9, after undergoing five operations in Greece and two in the UK, he was allowed to go home.

“He’s running now, there’s nothing to stop him,” Jackson said.

The impact of his illness will be felt for some time, as he has to be fed by tube from 18:00 to 10:00.

Mr. Jackson and Harry’s mother, Annie Cerveno, hope that by the time he turns 16 he will be able to receive an intestine transplant.

“We’ve been as low as we can go,” Mr. Jackson said.

“We were told he had a 20% chance of survival, but we’ve had time to get used to the ‘new normal’ and where we are now is the best case scenario.”

Harry was the mascot at The Hollow, the home of Potton United, when they played Lutterworth Town in the United Counties South First Division on Saturday, as “he’s always been taken there, it’s their safe haven, it’s part of the fixtures “.

“Potton hosted us, so Saturday was to introduce him and thank everyone, for all the fundraising and messaging,” he said.

“We just had the most incredible support.”

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