Charlie Fogarty MBE presented with the Stephen McAleese Award for Inspiration 2022
10 years after sustaining a severe brain injury, Charlie accepted the award on Monday (7 November) at the United Kingdom Acquired Brain Injury Forum (UKABIF) summit in Manchester.
On the 17 March 2012 15-year-old Charlie was knocked down by a car. His head took the full impact, and he was rushed to the intensive care unit at Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
Charlie remained in intensive care for 11 days before being moved onto a neurosurgical ward where he was placed in an induced coma. Doctors said that it was unlikely he would be able to walk or talk again and would probably never return to education.
As 2022 marks 10 years since Charlie’s accident, it felt appropriate to nominate him for the Stephen McAleese award for inspiration – in honour of all he has achieved during the last decade. The Stephen McAleese award recognises individuals for their inspirational work in the field of Acquired Brain Injury and we are delighted that Charlie has been chosen as this year’s recipient.
“It’s an honour to receive this award," said Charlie. “And I owe a lot to The Children’s Trust!”
Thinking back to what motivated Charlie in the beginning, his mum Sara said: “Charlie’s passion for football 100% made him push himself – all he wanted to do was play football again above everything else.”
After four months on the ward Charlie was transferred to The Children’s Trust. Charlie was a resident at our specialist rehabilitation centre in Tadworth, Surrey, with a daily routine of therapy and education sessions. The main goals were to help him walk, talk, eat and drink again.
After two months Charlie spoke again for the first time, and on 16 September 2012, just six months after the accident, Charlie took his first steps.
Five months after leaving The Children’s Trust, and just 16 months after his accident, Charlie went back to playing football for the West Midlands Centre of Excellence team.
He then joined the West Midlands cerebral palsy team, playing competitive football once more. In January 2015 Charlie was selected for the Northern Ireland Cerebral Palsy team and has since been part of two World Cup squads – Argentina 2017 and Spain 2022.
At the age of 18, Charlie saw the need for an inclusive football team in his local area and set up the open-age Disability Team at Solihull Moors Football Club. Charlie is still the Player Manager of this team today. This passion and dedication to providing inclusive access to his beloved game of football was royally recognised when he was named in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List 2017/18. Charlie’s MBE was awarded for his services to young people in Solihull.
Charlie’s remarkable story is a tale of grit, determination, and making the impossible, possible. For the last few years Charlie has visited professional and community-based sports clubs, schools, universities, and corporate events to deliver his inspirational speeches. Charlie’s speeches transcend age, professions, gender, and background; encouraging every individual that giving up never has to be an option, no matter what. His dream is to tell his story to the masses, inspiring individuals from all walks of life.
Charlie is also passionate about helping those who helped him along the way, and his continued engagement with The Children’s Trust inspires not just other children and young people currently on their own rehabilitation journey, but all our staff to keep going with his catchphrase of ‘Anything is possible”.
You can read more about Charlie’s incredible journey here.
To find out what’s next for Charlie and keep up to date with his story, please visit his website.
