Lex Hindley, 11, was diagnosed with type 1 of the incurable condition three years ago and he and his family have been managing it successfully ever since with training from the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) which also focuses on finding new treatments and a cure. As a result, the young rugby player and Salford Red Devils fan from Ashton has decided to sacrifice the hair he has been growing for the last two years in tribute to his favourite player Tim Lafai to raise money for the good cause. The former RL Hughes Primary pupil, who starts at Cansfield High next month, set himself a target of £500 for the JDRF which mum Natalie thought was too ambitious, so he lowered it to £100.
But since his Just Giving page was launched the total has already beaten the original goal and the appeal will keep going for a few days after the big crop takes place on August 31. Natalie said: “T1D affects every aspect of Lex’s day-to-day life, but he does not let that stop him. We’re lucky that he is so laid-back and has got the hang of ‘carbing’ his food.
"He chos to raise money for JDRF because of the vital research they do, the training they gave us about managing diabetes, and they also gave him a teddy when he was diagnosed showing injection areas, which he still has to this day.” Lex had recently turned eight and had been playing at a tournament at Rose Bridge for St Pat’s when he was taken ill that evening. Natalie said: “He was really thirsty, had a bad pain .