HOCKEY clubs are staging a charity match in Flintshire to raise money for a keen hockey player who lost a leg to cancer.

Ben Rawson, 21, played for Denbigh Hockey Club before having his right leg amputated to remove a tumour.

And on Saturday Denbigh and Northop Hall hockey clubs are playing a game to raise money for a £50,000 prosthetic 'blade' that will allow Ben to run once again.

The game takes place at Hawarden High School's astroturf at noon, with both clubs making a donation to Ben's cause, along with the match fees paid by the players.

Ben had felt a lump while rubbing behind his knee, which several months later was revealed to be a tumour

A biopsy soon confirmed this to be a rare bone cancer called Ewing’s Sarcoma, affecting fewer than 30 teenagers and young adults in the UK each year.

It became clear that there was no alternative but to amputate his leg.

After the amputation Ben, who is from Denbigh and is studying at university in Manchester, has had eight more cycles of chemotherapy to consolidate his treatment and is now waiting for post treatment scans.

Side effects of his hardcore chemotherapy have been significant such as fatigue, nausea and vomiting. Ben has lost his hair, his eyebrows and most of his eyelashes, his skin is pale and sallow and he has very little energy at times.

Chemotherapy started swiftly after surgery and he is now attending regular visits to the Limb Centre where he will have a series of prosthetics as the residual leg heals and changes shape.

He will require significant mobility rehabilitation and intensive physiotherapy over the forthcoming year and is likely to have significantly impaired mobility for the rest of his life.

In order for Ben to get back to competitive sport, he will require a 'blade' that allows the wearer to run and jump and overcome some of the deficiencies in other prosthetic. For an above knee amputee the cost will be about £50,000.

Ben will have to demonstrate commitment and motivation to using a mechanical leg first before being considered for this digital leg.

This complex microprocessor leg provides sophisticated control enabling the user to walk with a stable and efficient gait closely resembling a natural walk.

Ben says he is now determined to get back out on the hockey pitch and complete his studies at Manchester University.

A link to a JustGiving page for Ben can be found at https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ben-rawson