A Scots youngster who defied the odds to beat cancer had his dreams come true after his favourite Rangers player picked him out of the crowd at Ibrox to gift him his shirt.Daven Milne, 12, was over the moon after Ryan Jack picked him out of a crowd of 50,000 Gers supporters after the side’s win against Braga in the Europa League earlier this month.
The youngster, from Newton Mearns in East Renfrewshire, was diagnosed with the very rare pleomorphic undifferentiated primitive sarcoma after his mum Tracy spotted a small lump on his neck shortly after his second birthday in January 2012.
This year he celebrated 10 years in remission and the little season ticket holder never misses a match at Ibrox.
“For him to be picked from a crowd of over 50,000 people and have his dream come true is amazing.“He is a Rangers season ticket holder and goes religiously every week. They were sitting in the stand in the game against Braga and after they won Daven started to get up to sing and dance at the end.
“Ryan Jack was standing at the centre of the park then all of a sudden just sprinted towards him with his shirt.
“Then he gave him a wee cuddle.
“He’s met other players before but never Ryan Jack.
“Because of everything he’s been through, we believe this encounter happened for a reason.
“We want it to get back to Ryan so he knows what it meant to my boy.”The schoolboy was touch and go after his diagnosis with his worried family fearing the worst – but after 25 weeks of chemotherapy and 29 blasts of proton therapy, Daven made a miracle recovery.
Mum-of-three Tracy continued: “He received 25 weeks of chemotherapy, 29 blasts of proton therapy and had to fly to Florida for treatment.
“The prognosis wasn’t great for Daven. It was so rare in children to have this type of sarcoma.
“We had to put him on a medical trial but he overcame his treatment.
“He is a wee miracle child, and he’s an amazing little footballer too.
“He’s still quite a poorly wee kid and he struggles at school, so it was really nice for him to receive that top. It just means the world.
“There’s not another shirt that would have meant as much as Jack’s did.”
Daven, whose dad David Milne used to play for St Mirren, now won’t let the shirt out of his sight.The delighted schoolboy hopes to meet Jack again and have the top signed by the star himself.Tracey said: “He would like to thank Ryan personally and get him to sign it himself.”He’s got the top hanging up in his room pride of place and no one is allowed to touch it.”After being contacted by the Record, Rangers FC said they will be happy to arrange a meet and greet for Daven and Ryan Jack.
A spokesperson for the club said: “We would be delighted to facilitate a meeting between Ryan and Daven.
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