2023 Winner
Taylor Dignan
Bullied youngster with a rare health condition is raising awareness and money for the hospitals that look after him.
Taylor Dignan was just two days old when he was diagnosed with Anterior Segment Dysgenesis, a rare spectrum of disorders which in Taylor’s case means he is blind in one eye. Picked on at school as early as Year One for being different, the Stockport youngster’s confidence was hit.
“By the time he got to Year Two it was some quite serious bullying which resulted in Taylor’s whole personality changing,” said mum Sam. “He used to say he hated himself, he didn’t like who he was. He was saying things like, you know, he wanted to die. To hear your six and seven-year-old say something like that is heartbreaking.”
But over time, Taylor learned to embrace his uniqueness – and vowed to do all he could to help other people. Then in 2022, at 10 years old, he made the decision to run 10 miles in 10 days, with the aim of making £250 for charity.
“I wanted to do that because I was fed up of being bullied and I don’t want anyone else to go through the same that I had to,” said Taylor. Within hours of details about his fundraiser going up online, donations had exceeded £1,000, and more than a year later support is still coming in.
The ambitious youngster, now 11, has gone on to complete 11 one-mile runs, and plans to keep fundraising in aid of Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital and Manchester Royal Eye Hospital, where he has received treatment since a young age. Jo Thomas, Community Fundraising Officer at Manchester Foundation Trust, said: “Taylor is such an inspiring young man and his family must be so proud of everything he has done.” With his family, mum Sam, dad Dan and younger brothers Harrison, eight, and Bobby, six, by his side, Taylor is feeling happy and confident once again.
He said: “I’m just really confident and enjoy just doing things with friends and my family as well.” Mum Sam added: “I don’t think we could be prouder if we tried.”