A Coatbridge dad who has raised £180,000 for a hospital charity in memory of his young son has been presented with a royal honour.
Graham Reid was awarded the British Empire Medal in the Queen’s birthday honours in June; and this week received the prestigious accolade from Lady Susan Haughey, the Lord Lieutenant of Lanarkshire who is Her Majesty’s representative in the county.
It was presented at a special ceremony in Hamilton, where Graham received the medal watched by proud wife Lesley and children Katy, 22, and 11-year-old Jamie.
Graham and Lesley lost their beloved son David to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2007, when he was just six years old.
He had spent almost a year being cared for at Yorkhill Children’s Hospital, now known as Glasgow Children’s Hospital; and Graham has since spent more than a decade raising funds for its charity and promoting awareness of childhood cancers.
Graham and his relatives, along with members of Lodge Old Monkland St James No 177 who run an annual boxing event, have since raised the magnificent six-figure sum including a £110,000 donation in David’s name to fund enhancements to the neurological ward at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.
Attending the honours ceremony, North Lanarkshire provost Jean Jones told him: “Your dedication, commitment and incredible fundraising efforts are an inspiration and these endeavours are most worthy of this special medal from the Crown.
“The massive sums of money you have raised on behalf of the Yorkhill Children’s Charity are fantastic and life-changing for so many young people.”
South Lanarkshire provost Ian McAllan, who hosted the presentation event, added: “I’m proud to honour an individual who, against the background of a personal tragedy, has sought to make life better for others.
“Graham and his family have turned the unimaginable loss of a child into a determination to prevent as many others as possible from going through the same experience.
“Such courage and determination is genuinely awe-inspiring and I am personally humbled by the legacy Graham has created in David’s
memory.”
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Graham was nominated for the British Empire Medal by his colleagues at the HM Revenue and Customs office in East Kilbride, where he has also been “pivotal” in promoting mental health awareness in his role as a guidance manager.
He told the Advertiser in June: “I had absolutely no idea my workmates had put me forward and it was a complete surprise when I got the letter – my family were overwhelmed and Jamie took a copy of the letter to school!
“Lesley is very proud of me and this award is another lasting tribute to David’s memory.
“When we lost David, we felt we had to do something to remember him, which is why we decided to run our fundraising events.
“It’s been a fantastic journey since then and we can’t thank everyone involved in our donations enough for all of their support.”
