The Harbour View Football Club will be having a series of fund-raising events to assist its former player and Jamaica’s all time top scorer, Luton Shelton Jnr in his battle against the dreaded disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

Shelton Jr, who will be 33 years old on November 11, has been fighting the illness since 2016 and has spent in excess of $5m, with at least another $8m needed urgently for other procedures.

Luton Shelton Sr, told the Jamaica Observer that his family fully appreciates the efforts by everyon,e as the process is ongoing hence the expenses are not one-off figures and are escalating.

“Going forward, just one of the equipment cost US$12,000 to help translate his vocals, and there is respiratory device and a possible operation which is our last resort,” said Shelton Snr.

“These things are ongoing as we have to travel overseas. if we are to do a budget it will cost another $8m. It’s not just one thing because if we decide on doing the stem cell treatment it’s another US$45,000. It’s expensive,” he explained.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a progressive, neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. A-myo-trophic comes from the Greek language. “A” means “no”. “myo” refers to muscle, and “trophic” means nourishment – “No muscle nourishment.”

When a muscle has no nourishment, it “atrophies” or wastes away. “Lateral” identifies the areas in a person’s spinal cord where portions of the nerve cells that signal and control the muscles are located. As this area degenerates, it leads to scarring or hardening (“sclerosis”) in the region.

“He is positive and he is gaining that mental strength to succeed. He is very hopeful that by all means it will be conquered,” said father Shelton.

Meanwhile, Harbour View, who will be playing Mount Pleasant Academy tomorrow at 8:35 pm, have invited everyone to the venue much earlier for a Master’s League charity match between Harbour View and Violet Kickers from Montego Bay at 5:30 pm.

Both teams should include ex-national players such as Warren Barrett, Theodore “Tappa” Whitmore, Hector Wright, and Paul “Tegat” Davis for Violet Tourers. and for Harbour View, Fabian Taylor, Ricardo “Bibi” Gardner, Ian “Pepe” Goodison along with goalkeeper Julian “Rami” McLeish, Cornel Chin-Sue, Kevin “Pele” Wilson, Daniel Shaw and possibly Jermaine Hue, Richard Green and Altimont Butler will play.

Food will be on sale and admission to the event will cost $1000, with proceeds going towards a GoFundMe at the National Commercial Bank, Oxford Road, account number 214233150.

Between 7:15 pm and 7:35pm there will be a 15-20 minutes ‘prayer chain’ similar to one organised in Florida recently, with his brother Shamar Shelton on centre field and in the stands to continue the appeal to the highest powers for his healing process.

Luton Shelton and his wife Bobbette returned to the island early last week from treatment in Florida and are expected to be in attendance, accompanied by his family to meet and greet everyone while seeing old friends, well-wishers, and to publicly accepting the awards and donations that have been made recently.

“It’s a good gesture and it really shows that they care and have compassion for him. It’s something that we endorse and it’s a club that he literally gave his time to and gave them resources too. He is ‘die-hearted’ for Harbour View,” said father Shelton.