Our shining star

Award-winner Adam with mum Anita Claxton and Tina Brown, from Cerebra

AN Oldham boy who was badly injured in a road accident has been handed a national award and a computer to “give him his voice back”.

Adam McQuillan received a Children’s Award and an iPad computer from the Cerebra charity at a ceremony in Oldham’s Clough Manor Hotel.

Ten-year-old Adam was involved in a serious road accident on Abbeyhills Road near his home in Roundthorn two years ago. It left him fighting for his life.

He suffered multiple fractures to his skull and a serious brain injury. He spent 10 weeks in a coma and eight months recovering in hospital.

Doctors feared he might not survive.

His mum, Anita Claxton, had no sleep for 48 hours after the tragedy and simply cried. She kept a vigil at his bedside and, against all the odds, Adam survived.

However he now has to cope with very complicated challenges. He has lost his speech, uses a wheelchair, cannot write and has had to relearn many of the skills he previously had. He lost much of his previous way of life.

Presenting the award, Cerebra praised Adam’s fighting spirit and generosity, saying he keeps smiling, stays positive and always thinks of others.

He has raised money for Manchester Children’s Hospital and the Destination Florida charity, which provides holidays for seriously-ill children, including many from Kingfisher and Newbridge schools in Oldham. It treated Adam to a trip to Disney World.

Speaking about the award, Mrs Claxton said “We are all overjoyed at Adam winning this. It helps us to share his story and raise awareness of the impact of brain injuries.

“The i-Pad will give Adam a voice - one we have all dearly missed. It will be great for us all if we can simply hear loudly, through Adam using the computer, that he is happy and loves us.”

Cerebra supports brain-injured children and neurological problems across the UK. It aims to improve their lives through research and support. Each year it holds an awards scheme to recognise the achievements of some of the children it helps. This year, eight youngsters across the UK have received a specially designed trophy and an i-Pad featuring special applications.

Elaine Collins, a charity spokeswoman, said: “Above anything else, winning the i-Pad will help Adam to communicate with his family and friends. After 18 months of silence, his family can’t wait to hear from him. It has a special communication application (app) which creates a voice when he touches the screen.

For a full version of this story read the Chronicle in print or via the digital iChron and eChron editions on mobile and laptop.