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Alisha Harrison has so much to live for, yet so little time.
There’s her seven children, the last of them coming into the world just after she was diagnosed with stage-three breast cancer. Little Isaac’s arrival was then tempered by the news the cancer had spread to her liver, making it the stage-four variety.
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Reynolds and his partner, Belle, did more than that. The former NSW five-eighth has had his own setbacks, including being told he is surplus to requirements at the Tigers. But hearing Harrison’s story quickly put his footballing plight into perspective.
“We were blown away by how someone can go through so much, have so many kids and still be positive and want to help people,” Reynolds said.
“Footy is a game played by a bunch of guys, we run onto the field and kick the footy around. Don’t get me wrong, there’s emotion involved and this and that. But then you stop and think that there are people who are out there who might not wake up tomorrow.
“When someone has seven kids and won’t be able to live out her life, it puts so much perspective in my life, it really does.”
Reynolds is one of the NRL’s most active players in the community. None of it is done for recognition. In fact, he politely declined to speak about his involvement with Harrison until her family insisted. Which is a good thing given it is a story worth telling. About a woman diagnosed with a terminal disease at the age of just 29, wanting to live what remains of her life to the fullest. This means spreading the message of breast cancer awareness and being the best mother and partner she can be.
Like most people, Harrison has a bucket list. It includes marrying her partner, Metin Salih, in November. Some of the best seats at the wedding will be reserved for Reynolds and Bella after they helped tick off some of the other items in the list.
Upon learning that a trip down the Great Ocean Road was one of them, Reynolds and Bella organised the event from start to finish. The plane tickets, accommodation, dinner reservations, places to stop on the way. The entire itinerary was mapped out in a beautiful scrapbook, which included a page describing how the family inspires Reynolds and Bella.
“We hear so much bad stuff about footballers, them going out drinking or acting like hooligans,” Harrison said.
“But you never hear this side of them, you don’t see the softer side. We forget they are normal people who are touched by hard circumstances themselves or can relate to a hard situation.”
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Before they embarked on their Melbourne trip, Reynolds invited the family to their house for dinner. It cemented a bond that had been forged over several months, which included multiple trips to the footy and other social occasions.
“When someone is going through such heartache yet still thinks about others, they are the people I want to associate with,” Reynolds said.
“It’s about Alisha trying to make a difference.”
To donate to the family go to https://www.gofundme.com/b5hf6-help-alisha-live-her-dreams
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/re...71BMGKJAA0r8XsuVTv7oZENwAubcsOvLmQ6Ya9ZDld0yM
There’s her seven children, the last of them coming into the world just after she was diagnosed with stage-three breast cancer. Little Isaac’s arrival was then tempered by the news the cancer had spread to her liver, making it the stage-four variety.
NRL 2019
Grub's up: Reynolds' Sydney suitors dwindling as he chases NRL move
Reynolds and his partner, Belle, did more than that. The former NSW five-eighth has had his own setbacks, including being told he is surplus to requirements at the Tigers. But hearing Harrison’s story quickly put his footballing plight into perspective.
“We were blown away by how someone can go through so much, have so many kids and still be positive and want to help people,” Reynolds said.
“Footy is a game played by a bunch of guys, we run onto the field and kick the footy around. Don’t get me wrong, there’s emotion involved and this and that. But then you stop and think that there are people who are out there who might not wake up tomorrow.
“When someone has seven kids and won’t be able to live out her life, it puts so much perspective in my life, it really does.”
Reynolds is one of the NRL’s most active players in the community. None of it is done for recognition. In fact, he politely declined to speak about his involvement with Harrison until her family insisted. Which is a good thing given it is a story worth telling. About a woman diagnosed with a terminal disease at the age of just 29, wanting to live what remains of her life to the fullest. This means spreading the message of breast cancer awareness and being the best mother and partner she can be.
Like most people, Harrison has a bucket list. It includes marrying her partner, Metin Salih, in November. Some of the best seats at the wedding will be reserved for Reynolds and Bella after they helped tick off some of the other items in the list.
Upon learning that a trip down the Great Ocean Road was one of them, Reynolds and Bella organised the event from start to finish. The plane tickets, accommodation, dinner reservations, places to stop on the way. The entire itinerary was mapped out in a beautiful scrapbook, which included a page describing how the family inspires Reynolds and Bella.
“We hear so much bad stuff about footballers, them going out drinking or acting like hooligans,” Harrison said.
“But you never hear this side of them, you don’t see the softer side. We forget they are normal people who are touched by hard circumstances themselves or can relate to a hard situation.”
RELATED ARTICLE
NRL 2019
Eye of the Tiger: Laurie would have loved Robbie, if not his name
Before they embarked on their Melbourne trip, Reynolds invited the family to their house for dinner. It cemented a bond that had been forged over several months, which included multiple trips to the footy and other social occasions.
“When someone is going through such heartache yet still thinks about others, they are the people I want to associate with,” Reynolds said.
“It’s about Alisha trying to make a difference.”
To donate to the family go to https://www.gofundme.com/b5hf6-help-alisha-live-her-dreams
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/re...71BMGKJAA0r8XsuVTv7oZENwAubcsOvLmQ6Ya9ZDld0yM
