Chippenham cancer girl stars with Arsenal players

7:40am Friday 19th December 2008

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Teenage cancer patient Becky Oatley is the star of a charity advert which sees her bossing around Premiership footballers.

Ms Oatley, 18, of Barons Mead, Chippenham, who is battling lymphoma, worked alongside Arsenal players including Gael Clichy and captain Cesc Fabregas at the shoot last week.

The advert will be screened at Arsenal matches, starting with next Sunday’s clash with Liverpool, and highlights the work of the Teenage Cancer Trust, with which Ms Oatley works on a regular basis.

She said: “It was absolutely brilliant to go to the football ground for the day and all the players were really nice and fun to work with.

“My scene involved choosing a wig from some which the players were wearing. It was really appropriate for me as I lost my hair through chemo this year.

“It was really hard at first but now I am much more comfortable and I’m actually going to be in the film without a wig on.

“All of the players are going to be donating a day’s wages to the Teenage Cancer Trust which is great as it does an amazing job.”

Her mother, Domenica, 35, said that her daughter had not been interested in football until she met the Arsenal players. “The players definitely won her over,” she said.

Mrs Oatley added: “Becky has been absolutely phenomenal.

“Losing her hair was such a big deal for her. She used to change her hairstyle every day and, to go from that to nothing, was terrifying for her.

“Cancer takes everything from a person – it has taken Becky’s health, her hair, her job and her weight so it is great that she is getting something back.”

Arsenal captain Fabregas, 21, is fully supporting the club’s decision to pick the Teenage Cancer Trust as its charity of the year and hopes to raise more than £300,000.

He said: “I visited the Teenage Cancer Trust unit back in August so I know what this means to the charity and the teenagers it helps.

“I encourage all supporters to follow our lead and give what they can.”

In July this year Ms Oatley, a trainee hairdresser, raised more than £3,000 for the cancer trust by shaving the heads of 40 volunteers in Emery Gate shopping centre.