It has been over nine years since my last piece for the Luton Town programme.

Midway through the 2016/17 season — as a then 13-year-old aspiring sports journalist — I was kindly invited to interview Nathan Jones and Jonathan Smith at Ely Way, the club’s former training ground.

The opportunity to meet the manager and longest-serving player was incredibly exciting for a young Hatters fan, as you can probably imagine, and seeing my interviews published in subsequent match day programmes, only reinforced my desire to eventually work in sports journalism.

Nearly a decade on, there has been so much change for all of us as Luton Town supporters. Most memorably, I stood as one of almost 37,000 Hatters on that magical evening at Wembley back in May 2023, before witnessing the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City being given the full Kenilworth Road treatment in the season that followed.

In my personal life, using the interviews with Nathan and Jonathan as a springboard, I have forged a career in journalism, recently starting a new job on the sports desk at The Times.

However, the past nine months haven’t all been plain sailing for my family and me.

In July 2025 we received the news that my wonderful Mum, Kim, had been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer, despite being a non-smoker. It came as a huge shock to everyone but as with everything she does in life, she has battled with so much bravery since then.

Before she was diagnosed, Mum spent much of her career as a clinical scientist with the NHS. After so many years helping others, and having recently been forced to take early retirement on the grounds of ill health, she is now in need of help herself.

Mum’s cancer is advanced and inoperable, and since the diagnosis she has been undergoing various forms of chemotherapy on the NHS. However, with standard treatment routes proving unsuccessful, options are running out.

As a result, we are now raising money to give Mum access to a targeted drug that is only available privately. So far the fundraising effort has resulted in almost £40,000 in donations, an incredible sum.

We still have to continue pushing towards our overall goal of £150,000 though, which will give Mum the chance to continue her fight against cancer and prolong her life.

That is why I am asking you — my fellow Hatters — to please donate if you possibly can, however big or small the sum may be.

To donate, go to justgiving.com/crowdfunding/kim-oakhill-fight-for-life or follow @kimsfightforlife on Instagram and click the link in the bio.