Shropshire Star

Ethan, 11, leads emotional 'Viking clap' atop the Wrekin as he faces rare disease

A boy living with a rare disorder led a group of burly men in an emotional Viking clap at the top of the Wrekin.

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Men's mental health group "Primal Instincts" are walking from The Buckatree Hotel up and down The Wrekin with a young boy from Wolverhampton who is recovering from cancer..

Ethan Lea, 11, from Wolverhampton, has a condition that affects about 50 children a year in the UK and scans revealed lesions in his spine, hips and legs.

But Langerhans' cell histiocytosis or not, Ethan wanted to climb to the top of The Wrekin, and when a Telford men's mental health group got to hear about it, they leapt into action.

"We stood Ethan on the top of the monument and he led a group of burly men in doing the Viking clap," said Ricky Briffa, who founded Primal Instincts with Lee Stevens and Chris Booth. Arranging the day was a real team effort, said Ricky.

The Viking clap was made famous by fans of the Iceland football team who clap together in unison, with the gaps between claps getting smaller and smaller.

About 100 people started the day at the Buckatree Hall Hotel, near the Wrekin, where they were provided with refreshments before and after their trek up the beauty spot.