Miracle '˜Lineker baby' Alex becomes domestic abuse ambassador
Alex Skeel battled for his life as a 2lb premature baby with his twin brother and then went on to be a child model for Asda – working alongside football legend Gary Lineker.
But his life took a downturn in his teens when he became a victim of abusive girlfriend Jordan Worth.
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Hide AdWorth, 22, tortured him to such an extent that she was last month jailed for seven and a half years.
She controlled what Alex ate to the point where his weight dropped to just seven stone. Then she stabbed him and threw boiling water over him at their Stewartby home, causing third degree burns.
When 22-year-old Alex finally got to hospital, doctors told him he was 10 days away from death.
Now physically recovered, with Worth safely behind bars, the former Bedford footballer has vowed to help other male victims from suffering as he did.
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Hide AdHe has become an ambassador for the ManKind initiative, a charity that supports men who suffer domestic abuse.
This month he is organising a football match between Bedford Park Rangers Team 8 and Celeb FC to raise money for the charity,
He has also set up an under-18 football team in a bid to awareness and educate young men about domestic abuse.
“All of our kits we will have DA charity logos and, more importantly, details of helplines to educate the public that there is indeed a safe place for men to call if they need help,” he said.
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Hide AdAlex himself kept quiet about his plight. Even his parents and his twin brother Luke were unaware of the truth because Worth did not allow contact with them.
The horror story was only discovered when a neighbour called police officers, who took him to hospital to get proper treatment for the burns, which he’d attempted to wrap in clingfilm to prevent infection.
Now back with his family, Alex has undergone surgery on his hands and an operation on his brain to repair injuries inflicted by Worth
The charity football match is on Sunday June 10 at Bedford Athletic Rugby Club. Entry is from 12 noon and kick off is at 2pm.
Alex has also set up a crowdfunding page for his football team project. Donate on www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/bpru18