Young fan named Norwich City Community Hero

This month’s Fosters Solicitors Community Hero is Harry Beale, an 11-year-old Canary fan awaiting an organ transplant for his liver.

Harry was born with a rare condition called ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency, which means he is missing an enzyme and his body cannot break down protein, causing high ammonia levels.

With a restricted low protein diet and 36 medicines a day, Harry is unable to go out for meals, go to friends’ sleepovers and even a common cold can send him to hospital. Sadly, he was admitted to hospital on Boxing Day because of this.

Life for the Beale family is now all about waiting for a donor that will allow our community hero to have a free diet, less medicines and to be unaffected by common illness, which means less trips to the hospital.

As far as Harry is concerned, the best outcome from getting the transplant would be to eat the foods he has never eaten and be able to enjoy life.

Sarah Beale, Harry’s mum, also opened up about her other son Alfie, who was diagnosed with the same condition at nine months old.

She said: “Harry has seen the effects of OTC, as his older brother has suffered irreparable damage from the condition.

“Alfie has speech and learning delay, brain damage, social problems, behavioural problems, autism and ADD.

“He has also had a liver transplant and is now living life to the full without having to deal with the condition.

“Due to the rareness of the condition, we did not know he had the condition, but it did mean we were able to get Harry DNA tested at birth.”

Harry and his family were invited down to the Lotus Training Centre before Christmas, as part of the Community Sports Foundation’s Wish Day in December.

Norwich City players took time to take pictures and sign memorabilia for all the fans in attendance and Jonathan Rowe was on hand to present his tickets to the match against West Brom.

Harry said: “I really liked meeting the players face-to-face and asking questions about football.

“I was a bit shy and quiet as I’d not been well that week due to my condition.

“When I watched them play Huddersfield, I felt like I knew the players as I had talked to them a few days before.

“I’m really excited and honoured to be the community hero for West Brom but a bit nervous.”

Harry has always had a great passion for football since the age of four and plays left wing.

He never misses training, even if he has been admitted to hospital just days before and has asked to continue his training separate to his teammates after his transplant, as he will need to be in isolation for three months post-operation.

Sarah and her family’s message to fans is to spread the word about donor registration.

She said: “There is a massive shortage of donor registration and sadly you never think about until you have a loved one who needs a transplant. One donor can save nine lives.”

Since 2019, Fosters Solicitors have joined our primary partners Norwich City Football Club in highlighting the great work of local individuals and organisations in our community. Every month during the football season, a ‘Community Hero’ is chosen for a selected matchday – providing an opportunity to showcase that person(s), or initiatives, selfless work or important community campaign.