School friends are staging a fund-raising push to help send a pupil with a rare cancer to see his basketball heroes.

Charlie Denyer, 15, of Owletts Close, Maidstone, was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma in June.

But upbeat Charlie, who races down slopes and does wheelies in the wheelchair he has to use sometimes, is treating his illness as an adventure.

His positive thinking has spurred everyone at NLL Academy in Loose, into staging a week of events to send him to see his Lakers heroes play.

One of the highlights will see Year 11 student Charlie, who was in the school’s basketball team, referee a match between staff and the Year 11 team.

Charlie has already undergone five cycles of chemotherapy on his bone cancer and has one more to undergo before a major operation the day before his 16th birthday, on November 3.

The surgery is to remove the bone above the knee on his right leg, and his hip joint, and replace them. He said: “When my dad told me I had cancer, I just thought it was one of those things – you just get on with it.

“Some people who have got cancer have always got their head down and they don’t want to do anything.

“To me, it’s like an adventure because I am restricted. I can’t do some of the things I used to, so I have to come up with different things that I can.

“It is one of my dreams to see the LA Lakers. It would be amazing.”

Mother Diane, 35, said of his diagnosis: “I broke down first but Charlie’s reaction was 'I don’t want you to worry’.

"I told him 'that’s been part and parcel since I had you’.”

Charlie, whose favourite player is “awesome” LeBron James , also lives with dad Alan, 39, younger brother Ian, a pupil at Maidstone Boys’ Grammar, and dog Bess.

ICT teacher Stevielee Cairns , who will have his head shaved with fellow teacher Andrew Fissenden and several others, said: “He is such a nice, generous lad. We said we wanted to do something he would love.”

Events planned include a dog show, run; a non-uniform day, leg waxing, staff donating an hour’s wages and cycling the equivalent from Maidstone to Land’s End on cycling machines.

Charlie is also raising money for the Teenage Cancer Trust, with an auction and raffle.

For now, he is hoping to have a sleepover with friends at his nan, Ann Sinden’s house as an early 16th birthday party.