Hip, hip hooray! The Edinburgh Reporter is absolutely delighted to tell you that Gordon Aikman has been honoured in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list just published tonight.
I met Gordon at the penalty shoot out which he organised during the General Election campaign between politicians of various colours, and it would be hard to say I had met someone I liked more this year. This is a person who is determined but grounded, and energetic despite suffering from the illness which he campaigns for.
Mr Aikman will receive a British Empire Medal (BEM) for his efforts to fund a cure for MND and improve care for people with the condition.
Since being diagnosed with the terminal condition last year his campaign GordonsFightback.com has raised almost £300,000 for research into a cure for the disease.
His campaign was also instrumental in transforming MND patient care in Scotland by successfully lobbying First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to double the number of specialist MND nurses and fund them through the public purse.
MND patient, campaigner and founder of GordonsFightback.com, Gordon Aikman, said:
“Wow. I am absolutely thrilled. I am completely over the moon to receive this incredible honour.
“Day in day out thousands of people across this country are bravely battling this disease. I want to share this honour with each and every one of my fellow fighters.
“We’ve achieved so much this year, but there is much still to do. 80-95% of MND patients experience voice loss before they die. We need urgent Scottish Government action to ensure that nobody dies without a voice.
Speaking about his efforts to fund research into a cure, he said:
“It’s too late for me, but we can and we must find a cure for future generations. With every day I have left I will be fighting for a world free of MND.”
You can donate to Gordon’s Fightback by texting MNDS85 £5 to 70070 or visiting GordonsFightback.com
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
