Staff at three Scottish hospitals to be thanked with fundraiser after saving the life of promising young Hawick rugby player
The grateful family of a talented Hawick teenage rugby player who spent almost a month in a coma after a car crash in January have joined a fundraising effort to thank staff at Edinburgh and Borders hospitals who put him on the road to recovery.
Seventeen-year-old Clark Graham spent three and a half weeks in a coma after he was involved in a car crash near Ashkirk.
Clark, who had just passed his test and was driving, was on his way from his home in ha wick to Mcdonald’ sing alas hi el sat the time of the accident.
Clark suffered a brain injury and spent four and a half months in hospital.
But thanks to the work of NHS staff at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, the city’s A st leya ins lie hospital and the borders General he has gone onto make a remarkable recovery and returned home last month.
Clark, whose older brother is Scottish rugby international Darcy Graham, is a member of Hawick Rugby RFC Under-18s.
And on sunday club members st aged a fundraising car was hat the town’ s Weensland Car Wash to raise funds forth east leya ins lie hospital, raising £1,500 in the process. It was a huge success and a chance to celebrate Clark’ s recovery from his or deal a club members were joined by the young man himself, in addition to his brother Darcy, sister Rhianna and mum and dad Leah and Ali.
Meanwhile, Darcy has described his younger brother’s recovery as an “absolute miracle”.
He said: “Clark is doing well and the recovery has been good. He’ll live a very good life. It’s been very challenging.
"He’ s bee ninth east leya ins lie and they’ve done an amazing job. He’s back walking, showering – he can do everything himself. It’s just his balance is a wee bit off and his speech is a bit slower, but that will come back.
"He probably shouldn’t be here. That’s the hardest part. He had somebody looking after him that day.”
Paul Mcdonald, Hawick Youth RFC under-18s manager, said: “Hawick Youth RFC raised over £1,500 on a charity car wash on sunday with half of the proceeds going to th east ley Ainslie Hospital who supported one of their young talented players Clark Graham with his recovery from a serious road accident in january. players and the committee teamed up with the Graham family.”