Prime Minister Andy Burnham is rarely seen without his sky-blue Joseph's Goal bracelet on his right wrist, whether he's in his best suit or a retro Everton shirt. The wristband shows his support for Wigan teen Joseph Kendrick, who was born with the life-limiting disability Non-Ketotic Hyperglycinemia (NKH).
The bracelet featured on Mr Burnham's Makerfield by-election poster, was on his wrist when he was sworn in as Labour Party leader, and was seen across the globe on news footage when he met Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the first time.
A Family's Gratitude
To Joe's parents, Paul and Emma Kendrick, it means the world. Paul admits: "Joe's mum Emma gets incredibly emotional whenever she sees pictures like this, knowing there's someone else sticking up for her little boy."
The 17-year-old is one of just 500 people in the world living with the rare condition and among the oldest in the UK. When he was born in 2009, his parents were warned he would live for just 10 days and wouldn't even get him out of hospital. Joe survived against the odds, albeit with severe disabilities, and still experiences seizures and needs full-time care.
Long-Standing Support
Mr Burnham has been supporting the family since 2012, when they set up the Joseph's Goal charity to fund research into a cure for Joe's condition. At the time, he was the MP for Leigh and, along with Wigan MP Lisa Nandy, showed his support with raffle and auction prizes, such as bottles of whisky from the House of Commons. He also joined Joe's grandma at the charity's first anniversary stand at the Leigh Expo.
In 2013, Joe captured hearts as the mascot for Wigan Athletic ahead of their famous FA Cup giant-killing of Manchester City. Then aged four, he was carried onto the pitch at Wembley Stadium by captain Emmerson Boyce, in TV pictures beamed to millions worldwide.
Football Connection
Mr Burnham, equally football-mad, took little persuasion to take part in the charity's annual legends football match at Ashton Town in 2019, when a Wigan Athletic XI faced a Manchester United XI. Paul, a sports journalist for Wigan Today, says: "He was given a shirt, shorts and socks – and borrowed some boots – and came on as a substitute alongside Bryan Robson, against a Wigan side including Roberto Martinez, Graeme Jones and Gary Caldwell."
The former Manchester mayor said he "would have loved to" have played in this year's match, which came a week before he announced his candidacy for the Makerfield by-election. He wanted to know if they still had ties to Ashton Town FC, where he held media events during and after the by-election.
Raising Awareness
The extra publicity from Mr Burnham's new profile can only help their aim of finding a cure. Paul says: "We were incredibly proud when he was pictured wearing his Joseph's Goal wristband while out on a regular jog near his house, and even more so when he was pictured on the front page of a national newspaper at the Great Manchester Run. Little things like that are so important for a small, family-run charity like ours."
NKH is thought to affect around one in 76,000 live births worldwide. Tragically, 80% of babies diagnosed with the condition do not survive their first year, and most children with the severest form do not live past age five. Funds raised by Joseph's Goal are sent directly to Dr Nick Greene at the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health in London, which leads the UK programme of NKH research. He says support from the charity has accelerated progress by "several years", bringing new treatments significantly closer.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham says: "I've known Joe Kendrick, his mum Emma and dad Paul for a long time. Joe has Non-Ketotic Hyperglycinemia, a rare, life limiting genetic disorder. With his condition, Joe wasn't supposed to live beyond 10 days. He's now a teenage lad and with his parents, spreading awareness about this serious condition through their charity Joseph's Goal in Wigan and across the country. If anyone was wondering, that's why I wear my blue Joseph Goal's wristband when I'm out and about. To try and do my bit to help more people learn about this fantastic charity, fantastic cause and fantastic family."
