Yahoo News Friends' tribute to Leeds lad with 'warrior spirit' who died aged just 19
Tributes have been paid to an aspiring Formula 1 driver from Leeds who had a "warrior spirit" and "never gave up".
Joel Pearson, from Garforth, was just 16 when he came into school and told his best friend Luke Harper that he had a strange "numbing" feeling in one his legs. Luke says he thought it was strange but the condition only began to get worse over time.
Initially, Joel and his friends stayed positive but eventually it was diagnosed to be a form of cancer following further tests and scans. He received treatment and at times the cancer did recede. However, on February 22, 2024, Joel died aged just 19.
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Now, his friends have been paying tribute to his memory as they prepare to raise funds in his memory. Luke said: "He was my best friend and he never let cancer stop him from doing anything.
"He was constantly, throughout his treatment, he was remaining positive and literally never showed any sort of fear or upset, he never gave up. He kept pushing through everything he did."
Joel was also an avid and talented racer, and raced in Formula 4, which he kept up with even while receiving treatment. He even did testing for Formula 3 despite not being able to race as much due to him receiving treatment, but never got the chance to progress to this level.
Luke added: "Joel just had this ability, this warrior spirit, to just never give up and always have a smile on his face. We'd go out, he'd take me out in his cars and stuff and we'd go for meals and he'd just never let it show. He never let it stop him doing anything and he was just such an amazing person."
Now, Luke and Joel's friends, including Cameron Pratt, have decided to raise money in Joel's memory. They are running a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for a charity called Candlelighters, which helped Joel when he was ill.
Luke has been in contact with Joel's family and they also said the group should raise money for Candlelighters after how much it helped Joel out.
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The charity paid for a trip to Center Parcs for Joel and his girlfriend, which gave him a much need break for rest, relaxation and recovery from his treatment. In addition, a group of friends are going to raise more money by completing the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge in late May or early June.
Luke added: "The idea behind it is that it's a challenge and it's going to hurt and there's going to be a bit of suffering and I guess, in a way, you're kind of trying to relate that in some way to what he went through throughout that three year period."
So far, the fundraiser has exceeded its £1,500 target, raising more than £2,100 so far, and Luke says the response has been "overwhelming". He added that it was "touching" to see how many people loved Joel and "respect" what he went through.
Finally, in tribute to Joel, Luke said: "Joel, to me, was somebody who had a wicked sense of humour. To be honest, at times, quite a dark sense of humour and he used that to his advantage." He added that he "faced adversity with a smile on his face".
