BoxRec

Former three-time world title challenger Herol Graham and his partner Karen Neville need urgent help.

Graham, 58, has struggled with his health in recent years and is currently in a mental health hospital as a consequence of severe bipolar and depression. His long-term girlfriend Karen has Stage 3 bladder cancer and can no longer walk or earn a wage. Consequently, the couple have no income and are unable to afford the medical treatment Karen requires.

In fact, just making ends meet is proving almost impossible.

Too proud to ask for help themselves, despite the consequences of their plight reaching crisis point, their friend Andy Brace has stepped in.

“They are in dire need of help,” said Brace.

“Despite Herol being recognised as one of the greatest boxers this country ever produced, he never received the financial rewards his talent deserved and they need funding which is not available on the NHS. If Karen doesn’t get this funding, she will die.

“You couldn’t meet two nicer people, they don’t deserve this, and have always been ready to help anyone in need.”

Herol is widely regarded as the finest British fighter to never win a world title, and his bewitching skills engrossed the nation in the 1980s and 90s. Graham, who failed to defeat Mike McCallum and Julian Jackson in a pair of close-but-no-cigar challenges to the middleweight throne, retired from the sport in 1998 when a brave loss to IBF super-middleweight boss Charles Brewer finally convinced the ring wizard his talents would not get what they deserved.

Retirement has not been kind to Graham, either. Despite winning multiple British and European titles while cementing his place among the very best in British boxing history, the switch-hitter – one of the orchestrators of the style and panache that is now synonymous with the Ingle Gym in Sheffield from which he emerged – left the sport with only memories.
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In his 2011 autobiography, Bomber – Behind The Laughter, Graham revealed he had attempted suicide as financial stress and leaving the life of a fighter behind became too much to bear. Graham has been an ambassador for mental health since then, but the demons never really went away.

As recently as 2016 he was fighting for his life in a London hospital after a series of complications following a burst appendix.

And today, with Karen gravely ill, and no money coming into their household, the couple are in desperate need of your help.

A Just Giving Page, set up by family friend Rainbow, can be accessed HERE.

They need £10,000.. Currently at £9,128

I'm in RRKO.

God bless both of them and good luck with the fund.

£9,208 now. 92%

i'm in also.best wishes to them both.

Why is this life saving treatment not on the NHS may I ask?

That right hand by Julian Jackson cost Graham so much.

£9,918

Nearly there!

Target reached

I donated too. Best of luck to them both!

Fantastic result!

£10,100

Over 250 donated. Hopefully, she can get the treatment!

SAPFO wrote: ↑18 Jan 2018, 16:21 Why is this life saving treatment not on the NHS may I ask?

It is bizarre, I know someone who had stage three bladder cancer and had life saving immunotherapy on the NHS last year.

What a fantastic response. Bomber Graham is a man I grew up with - he was ABA champ back in 1978. I hope he gets his life straightened out now.

Donated, Sounds like a good cause and they are nearly there with the total

£10,540

Great Result!

I'm glad I raised this on the forum!

Really interesting interview with Herol In today’s BN

It seems that so many ex boxers suffer from severe depression. Some of it must be just the emotional effect of losing your raison d’etre, your profession and retiring when comparitively young.

But I’m sure blows to the head have a big impact. I sometimes feel guilt for loving such a cruel sport

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑19 Jan 2018, 06:17 £10,540

Great Result!

I'm glad I raised this on the forum!

Good work Ruthless

Wonder if his pal Naz has helped out ?......

Donated, worthy cause; lovely bloke Herol

An update on the JustGiving account states,

Karen is due to start her treatment later this week so fingers crossed we'll be posting good news before too long!

The target was raised to £15,000..

This has already been reached.. Now at £15,020 Thanks to 501 supporters.

stujones wrote: ↑18 Jan 2018, 18:33

SAPFO wrote: ↑18 Jan 2018, 16:21 Why is this life saving treatment not on the NHS may I ask?

It is bizarre, I know someone who had stage three bladder cancer and had life saving immunotherapy on the NHS last year.

probably like the dean francis situation - desperate people will believe in all kinds of quakery when their life is at stake. unless the treatment is explained and has shown a realistic chance of success I wont give.

wish everyone all the best.

Another blow for Bomber and you have to feel for him. He enjoyed so much success as a boxer that when it all came to an end he was completely lost and he still can't seem to get over it. I remember reading about him in Boxing News going back to the late 1970s when he won the ABA middleweight title at the age of 18, toying with the more seasoned Delroy Parkes in the final. Bomber was a good old Nottingham boy who boxed for the same amateur club that produced Kirkland Laing (Radford Boys) and he boxed just like Kirk, only from the southpaw stance, cruising to further wins in multi-nation tournaments for England. Then he was cruelly snubbed of a place in the Commonwealth Games in Canada (Parkes got the spot and won silver) and turned pro under Brendan Ingle out of Sheffield.