Wrestling mad Blackpool family recreate legendary WWE moments in aid of Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital

With the help of members of their local wrestling academy in Blackpool, Rascals Wrestling Academy, Ben, Charlie, and Dexter Cross have spent a fortnight recreating iconic WWE wrestling moments, releasing a daily video every day for 14 days on the academy’s Instagram and Facebook pages.

Following on from a host of fitness fundraising challenges for Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital over recent years, it was NHS worker Ben Cross who inspired his two sons to fundraise with the unique wrestling-inspired challenge to say thank-you for the medical help Charlie received when he was younger. 

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In 2016, aged four, Charlie experienced a shock bout of chickenpox and a streptococcal infection that led to him contracting necrotising fasciitis, a rare but serious bacterial infection that attacks the body’s soft tissue and leads to sepsis.  

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“Seeing him so poorly was absolutely devastating and scary,” said Ben. “He was an inpatient for a month and throughout the whole time the staff were incredibly supportive and there was always someone available, even in the early hours of the morning, to answer questions or provide some comfort.” 

Charlie was taken to Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital - part of Manchester University NHS  Foundation Trust (MFT) - and admitted to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit where he underwent five life-saving operations in just one single week.

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The surgery removed infected tissue from Charlie’s chest area and thankfully, after the first week he was taken off the ventilator and breathing for himself again. Charlie was then transferred to the hospital’s Burns Unit where he underwent further skin graft operations. 

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“We can never thank the hospital enough,” continued Ben, with a happy and healthy Charlie now aged 12. “They saved our little boy and as a family we owe them so much.”

As well as dealing with Charlie’s recovery, the boys have also had to manage with their mum, Nicola, going through serious health complications, necessitating care at the neurosurgery department of their local hospital for the past five years. During this time, the boys’ local wrestling gym, Rascals Professional Wrestling Academy, has been an important sanctuary.

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“The Academy is a very welcoming and inclusive place,” says Ben, whose previous fundraising tasks include a walk from Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital to Blackpool Hospital in one day, 10,000 burpees in a month, a coast-to-coast bike ride in one day, and four marathons back-to-back. “All the children are supported and encouraged to be themselves and it has been amazing to witness their progression.”

Charlie and Dexter, aka The Ego and DC Ninja, have now done their part too, with their recreation challenge culminating in the WWE’s debut at Co-op Live on October 16.