Little Legends: Elka Gale, proud mum of this week’s winner, Ethan, tells how rugby helped heal him after cancer battle

The proud mum of this week’s Little Legends winner has told how participating in a team sport has helped her son heal - in more ways than one - after a battle with cancer.

Being sidelined from sport when you’re a kid can be tough – when you’ve had cancer, COVID hits and you’re not sure when you’ll be back, the road back can seem very rough indeed.

For Pasadena schoolboy Ethan Gale, 12, - this week’s Little Legends winner – running out for the first time with his new rugby club at the start of this season meant he could finally put his illness behind him.

“In the cancer ward everyone is so gentle and kind and Ethan was wrapped in cotton wool … now he just gets to be a kid again and enjoy the rough and tumble of being ‘one of the boys’,” mum Elka said.

Aged 10, Ethan developed a lump on his neck and a biopsy exposed a parent’s worst nightmare: he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and his family told to have him at hospital the next day to start treatment.

Ethan, centre, with teammates Kweku, 12 (left) and Joel, 13 (right) at training in Clarence Gardens, ahead of Ethan’s his first-ever season of rugby after recovering from cancer. Picture: MATT LOXTON

“Life just instantly changes when someone says to you, ‘I so sorry your child has cancer’,” Ms Gale said.

“He was hooked up to the chemotherapy drugs for months … at the time it was just horrible, chemo does terrible things to a child’s body.

“He missed six months of school and was quite weak when he finally did go back …(he) missed playing sport at an age his school mates were developing sporting groups.”

Ethan’s cancer and treatment was in 2019 and COVID in 2020 put an end to any plans for him to return to sport last year.

A friend suggested he try rugby and since joining Southern Suburbs “Souths” Rugby Union’s U14 side – his new teammates not aware of his cancer struggle – Ethan hasn’t looked back.

“When he ran out for the first time I was quite emotional … he has been embraced, he is learning new skills and commitment – he just loves it,” Ms Gale said.

Cancer survivor Ethan, 12, is playing his first season of rugby and loving the experience of his new club, Southern Suburbs, and his teammates. Picture: supplied

The proud mum nominated her eldest son in the Sunday Mail’s Little Legend competition.

The Sunday Mail is calling for nominations of SA kids playing school or community sport to showcase skills, proud moments and sportsmanship.

“We wanted to do something fun to celebrate junior sport – sometimes it is the big moments, such as an amazing game-winning goal, that are worth cheering but often it is the small things that warm our family’s hearts most … the firsts, the friendships or a show of resilience,” Sunday Mail editor Jessica Leo-Kelton said.

A gallery of finalists is published each week on the Advertiser.com.au with a weekly prize of $100 awarded by sponsors Fairmont Homes in show of its commitment to community and grassroots sport.

To nominate, go to bit.ly/littlelegends2021 or email [e-mail]

Nominate your family’s - or club’s ‘Little Legend’.