PRIDE OF ST HELENS AWARDS 2022: Courage Award

Here are our shortlisted nominees for the Courage Award.

Ahead of the awards this Friday, we will be sharing profiles on each category of the awards highlighting each of the nominees.

Andy Reid

Andy Reid (Image: Andy Reid)

COURAGEOUS is just one word used to describe inspiring war veteran and triple amputee Andy Reid, but it doesn’t seem enough.

The dad-of-two from Rainford suffered life changing injuries after he stood on an IED in Afghanistan as a soldier in 2009.

He has used his story to inspire others, setting up the Standing Tall Foundation, and his inspirational efforts earned him the MBE.

More recently at 3pm on October 12 2022, he became the first triple amputee from the UK to scale the 18,000 feet to summit of Kilimanjaro, a feat he did alongside a team of specialists on his prosthetic legs.

The challenge coincided with the 13th anniversary of the day he sustained his life altering injuries, however he managed to reach the summit a day early.

Despite already being named a Pride of St Helens award winner at the inaugural awards 10 years ago, the judging panel and the community of St Helens felt that given how much he has achieved, and how much he has helped others in the past, he should be nominated again.

Andy's strength and courage continues to see him earn national recognition in the media, meaning he has become an ambassador for his hometown.

Karen Rigby

Karen Rigby (Image: Karen Rigby)

GRANDMOTHER Karen Rigby fought an inspiring battle cancer over the years.

Sadly she died earlier this month.

Prior to this, Karen had been nominated and shortlisted in this category for her courageous fight with the disease.

Her family has given their blessing for Karen's place to remain on the shortlist.

When Karen, from Carr Mill, was diagnosed with a stage four brain tumour and told NHS treatment was not enough to help her, she didn’t give up hope.

After being unwell in 2015, she was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumour which was removed with no further treatment needed.

However, in December 2020 she had another operation after learning another brain tumour was found. In January 2021 this one was discovered to be a Stage four glioblastoma unmethylated.

Glioblastomas are grade 4 brain tumours. They’re fast-growing, diffuse – meaning they have threadlike tendrils that extend into other parts of the brain, are likely to spread within the brain and may come back even if intensively treated.

The mum-of-two, who worked at Fairfield Hospital, underwent all available rounds of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, but the unmethylated part of her diagnosis means her type of tumour was unlikely to react well to those kinds of treatments.

Karen, 60, underwent alternative treatments not available on the NHS and was involved in several fundraising activities for the treatment.

She did all of this with a smile and cheerfulness despite the ordeal she went through.

PC Dan Parr

PC Dan Parr (Image: PC Dan Parr)OUR emergency service workers put themselves on the line every day to help people in our community.

That statement is one we hear often, but it was actually put into action this year when St Helens police officer Dan Parr was injured in the line of duty.

In May 2022, PC Parr was with a colleague when they approached a parked van after the driver was seen acting suspiciously.

As they got closure the van smelled of cannabis and when they each went to either side of the van, with PC Parr informing the driver they were going to conduct a search.

It was then that the driver sped off, despite PC Parr’s arm being in the vehicle, dragging him along and his legs were ran over by the rear wheels.

His actions helped his colleague escape serious injury but left him with a dislocated shoulder, which required surgery, a fractured wrist, tissue injuries to his right leg, cuts and grazes to his left arm and cuts and a lump above an eye.

PC Parr, who continues to suffer pain, has had to spend five months off work, and returned to ‘light duties’ last month.

Courage isn’t always one act. Sometimes courage is turning up everyday knowing that something could happen and knowing, that if needed you are willing to put yourself on the line to help others.

Just like PC Parr.