A FUNDRAISING football tournament organised by battling Tranent dad Johnnie Meechan and his supporters raised more than £3,000 for the fight against cancer.

Dad-of-five Johnnie has been raising awareness of NET (Neuroendocrine) cancer since he was first diagnosed with the condition last year.

Johnnie, whose diagnosis was given as terminal, is currently undergoing mistletoe therapy, which sees patients injected with extracts from the plant, and says recent scans reveal his condition is “stable”.

He took to social media following his diagnosis to document his journey in a series of video diaries which he hopes will create a legacy for his children.

The videos sparked a huge public response which led to Johnnie’s Journey’s fundraising campaign, which aims to raise funds to help others fighting cancer and raise awareness of his condition NET cancer in particular.

Johnnie, 39, was barely 20 years old when he was diagnosed with a tumour in his right knee.

A keen amateur footballer who played for Lochend Boys Club in Edinburgh, he faced four years of tough chemotherapy and major surgeries which saw a knee replacement but did not alleviate the pain.

He was eventually offered an amputation, which he took, and after more treatment his cancer went into remission.

For 16 years Johnnie was living cancer-free, meeting wife Evelyn, who he first knew when they were children, and falling in love.

But at Christmas 2015, Johnnie’s world began to crumble.

A severe chest infection led to him being admitted to hospital, where he was diagnosed with a heart condition which it has now been confirmed was probably caused by damage during his initial chemotherapy.

But there was worse to come, as the scans found something far more ominous: his cancer had returned and it was now in his liver.

Johnnie launched his video diaries on Facebook to raise awareness of NET cancer and create a lasting legacy for children Jamie, 17, Ellie, 15, Josh, 14, Sam, eight, and Maia, two.

Since then his followers have joined him in his journey through treatments, including the most recent mistletoe therapy.

Johnnie said: “I self-inject twice a week and go through to Glasgow once a month for a strong IV infusion. I also get a hormone shot once a month which is designed to slow the progression down. The last scan came back as stable, which is, of course, good and I’m due my next scan soon.”

Supporters of Johnnie’s Journey held a seven-a-side tournament at Lochend Park, Edinburgh, last weekend to raise money for his campaign. They raised more than £3,000 on the day, with about 60 players turning out despite torrential rain.

To keep up to date with events in support of Johnnie’s Journey, follow it on Facebook. To donate go to www.justgiving.com/crowdfund ing/JohnniesTourney