Two NRL stars have donated jerseys for a fundraiser for 17-year-old Hunter Ward, who is battling terminal brain cancer.
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Gold Coast Titans star Kieran Foran and Manly's Daly Cherry-Evans donated the gear for a raffle to help Hunter and his family over Christmas.
The pair won a grand final together for Manly in 2011.
Foran donated a signed New Zealand international jersey, boots and shorts he wore in last month's Pacific Cup final with Australia.
Cherry-Evans donated a signed Australian jersey that he wore in that match.
Hunter, of Metford, had emergency surgery at John Hunter Hospital in March to remove a six-centimetre brain tumour.
A few days later, he was diagnosed with a grade 4 glioblastoma multiforme [GBM] brain cancer.
Hunter's stepdad Jesse Hall works with Liam Foran and James Rinkin at a coal mine in the Hunter Valley.
Liam, a former Manly player, organised the jerseys through his brother Kieran and Cherry-Evans.
"I couldn't think of anything so tragic to have a young boy with stage four terminal brain cancer," Liam said. "I went home and burst into tears in front of my wife, telling her I'd come across this story at work.
"It hit my heart closely being a father. I've got five young kids of my own."
Liam felt that he "needed to do something".
"I reached out to my brother. He's always been very generous. I asked if there was any chance I could grab a playing jumper off him to raffle off," he said.
"I also reached out to Daly. He said 'absolutely mate'. Those guys would do anything for a good cause."
James has been selling the raffle tickets to colleagues in the mines. The raffle, to be drawn today, is aimed at helping Hunter and his family enjoy Christmas.
"I've been working with Jesse for eight years. He's a terrific fella," James said.
"To hear his young fella had brain cancer was heartbreaking."
Hunter, who supports Manchester United, Newcastle Jets and Parramatta Eels, has a GoFundMe page the public can donate to.
Jesse said his family was extremely grateful for the fundraiser.
"It's been a rollercoaster since early this year," he said.
He said Hunter's ordeal was "tough and not fair". "He doesn't deserve it."
Hunter is presently undergoing chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
"He started radiation once his brain had healed up enough from surgery," he said.
But this caused major swelling on his brain that left him in intensive care.
While surgeons removed as much tumour as they could during the operation, it had grown since then.
"The last update was that it hasn't shrunk at all from the treatment, but it also hasn't grown significantly," Jesse said.
Hunter's diagnosis has been hard for the family, who have two other children. "Since he got diagnosed, my wife had to stop working. I've been working a lot more," Jesse said.
His thoughts were also with other children and their families going through cancer. "We've met a lot of young kids through Camp Quality," he said.
