by Marianne Flood
A Derry teenager who was left paralysed after a tragic fall has been honoured with a special award from his school.
St Joseph’s pupil Dylan Wade, was presented with the Richard Moore Award for Outstanding Personal Achievement last week.
Dylan, 15, was confined to a wheel chair after he fell 20 feet from a tree in St Columb’s Park in May last year.
The Bogside teenager spent four and half months in hospital following his accident.
The first five-and-a-half weeks were spent in the Royal Victoria Hospital, followed by nine weeks at the spinal unit in Musgrave.
But just a few weeks after he got out of hospital Dylan returned to school and he is now hoping to train for the Tokyo Paralympics in 2020.
Children in Crossfire founder Richard Moore who was blinded by a rubber bullet the year before he started St Joseph's in 1973 was the guest of honour at last week’s prize giving.
The Richard Moore Award for Outstanding Personal Achievement was established to mark the way Mr Moore embraced his education and refused to let his disability stand in his way.
'Fitting'
St Joseph’s Principal Damien Harkin said it was 'very fitting' Mr Moore gave Dylan his award in person.
“The prize is for someone who really goes beyond the norm.
“It is in recognition of how brave Dylan has been and how quickly he has got back into education.
“His attitude is just outstanding- even to the point of pushing himself beyond his limits at times.
“He is quietly independent and stoic and just get son with things without looking for special treatment.
“For Richard as a blind man who has overcome so may difficulties to hand the prize to Dylan was very poignant.”
After his return to school in September 2016, Dylan’s PE teacher Emmett McGinty had the idea of getting him a specially adapted three-wheel chair so he could take part in wheelchair basketball and racing.
In June over 900 people took part in a charity race to raise money for the chair to be designed and built for him London.
Dylan is now waiting for the chair to be delivered so he can embark on his competitive sporting career
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