Norwich City Women's Natasha Snelling was recently on hand to surprise four-year-old Sophie at Carrow Road stadium, inviting the young Canaries supporter to be a mascot at a recent home fixture at The Nest.
The club have had the privilege of getting to know the superfan and her family, as they deal with the realities of a challenging illness.
In late 2024, Sophie began experiencing seizures and after months of hospital trips, was devastatingly diagnosed with a brain tumour in July.
Amidst the emotional and financial strain of the diagnosis, the family found a much-needed escape at The Nest, where they attended a women’s team home match.
It was there that Sophie fell in love with football, quickly becoming the biggest fan of City striker Snelling.
Moved by the family's story, the club and principal partner Blakely arranged a tour of the Carrow Road stadium that ended with a surprise visit from Snelling herself.
Sophie was then officially invited to attend the women's team fixture against London Bees as a mascot and walk out onto the pitch side-by-side with her hero.
On being part of the surprise, Snelling said: "It’s been an absolute pleasure to meet Sophie and her family, hearing what they have all been through recently is heartbreaking.
"I’m glad as a club we could create something special for her as seeing her face throughout the whole experience is the reason why we do it.
"Sophie really is a big bundle of joy, her face is just one big smile every time I see her!
"We look forward to seeing more of Sophie at future games."
The club would like to thank the family for allowing us to tell their story and also give thanks to Blakely for donating the mascot package alongside a bag of goodies for Sophie.
