Teen was at work when customer told him 'your shift is done'
A lifelong Liverpool FC supporter was surprised by footballer Curtis Jones and given a special tour of Anfield. Harry Whitehurst, a proud Kopite from South Liverpool, has been attending games at the home ground since the age of six.
However, this time on his trip to the stadium he was accompanied by the 23-year-old midfielder. The teenager was volunteering at Homebaked, on Oakfield Road when Curtis came to surprise him and let him know his shift there was over.
When they got to Anfield, the surprises kept coming for the 17-year-old as he met Alexis Mac Allister, Ibrahima Konaté and Kostas Tsimikas. Harry got photos with players, waved flags and chose Curtis’ next goal celebration - the bow and arrow similar to Mo Salah’s.
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Harry was born with a rare genetic condition known as Williams syndrome, a disorder that affects many parts of the body. He underwent surgery at three weeks old, and has had emergency lifesaving operations since, and is due to undergo another surgery soon.
His mum Claire, says she’s “lost track of the amount of appointments, therapies and things he has had”. She added: “He finds things really hard but he does them anyway. When he comes and sits in the Kop, he says it feels like coming home. He’s well known down there, helping out with the flags. He’s made so many friends.
“People with Williams syndrome are really empathic. So if he sees an injustice, he wants to do something about it. He’s got his own difficulties and challenges but he doesn’t let that stand in his way. He just wants everybody to be happy.”
The surprise was done in sponsorship with Nivea Men. The skin and body care specialists ended the day by inviting Harry back to take a penalty in front of a packed stadium and revealing Harry and his family would be going on holiday after his upcoming operation. The full video can be watched here.