Michael Burnage

Despite being severely disabled, when my husband was forced to retire from work, at the age of just 31, he refused to use this as an excuse to do nothing. Since 1998, he has been raising much needed funds for the local childrens hospital in Brighton - The Royal Alexandra. Over the years, his activities have enabled the purchase of an incubator, a ventilator, and many other pieces of equipment desperately needed, for the hospitals newborn baby unit. Alongside this, he has also worked voluntarily within the community, setting up and then operating two recycling schemes locally, that have now grown into city wide schemes. His selfless activities were recognised in 2006, when he was awarded the MBE by the Queen for his services to charity. In 2007 his health worsening dramatically, when he suffered a brain injury in a senseless attack. Just as he was beginning to make a recovering from this, in 2009, he suffered a heart attack, aged 40. Where most people would simply reverse into a shell, with ongoing health issues, Michael has once again risen to the challenge to continue to be a valuable asset to his community, getting involved with anything cause that he feels he can help in some capacity. With pleasure I would like to nominate to carry the olympic torch, Michael Burnage, the man I am proud to call my husband, and wonderful father of our two young children, a man who is himself a beacon that offers goodwili.