Borders rugby star Darcy Graham returns to roots to thank paramedics who saved his brother’s life
Last updated 23rd May 2023
Borders rugby star Darcy Graham has presented Hawick Ambulance Station with a donation of £500 and a signed match jersey - to thank staff who saved his brother’s life after a horror crash.
Aged 17 at the time, Clark Graham was involved in an accident near the village of Ashkirk, north of Hawick, which left him in a coma for three-and-a-half weeks.
The Scotland star, who is now preparing for the Rugby World Cup in France, previously donated £500 to the Hawick station after winning Edinburgh’s Player of The Month last September.
He was once again chosen as the capital side’s layer of the Month for April and chose the ambulance service as the beneficiary.
Darcy visited Hawick Ambulance Station last week to thank local paramedics Gary Brown and Jenny Braithwaite.
After the call was taken by Iona Walker, Gary and Jenny (pictured with Darcy) were the first crew on scene and rushed Clark to Borders General Hospital, fearing the worst.
'Without the Scottish Ambulance Service and what they did that night at Clark’s accident, he wouldn’t be here'
Darcy said: “It means so much to me and my family. Without the Scottish Ambulance Service and what they did that night at Clark’s accident, he wouldn’t be here, so it’s an easy one for us to give back to them to just kind of say thank you. The quick decisions they made that night thankfully saved Clark’s life.
“It was very emotional meeting the crew. It’s kind of hard to put into words what to say to them. It’s an easy one to for me to pick. It’s not just my family they’ve helped, it’s so many other people’s families and lives they’ve saved from them just doing their job.
“Day to day, it’s what they are here for and we kind of take it for granted almost. Having the ambulance service, having the NHS, everything, we are very lucky to have these services just on a phone call."
Brown, who has been with the Scottish Ambulance Service for 14 years, said it was “fantastic" of Darcy to donate to SAS, and added: “It was great to meet Darcy and hopefully we can meet Clark soon. The money will be donated to the station, so it will stay in Hawick."
He said the money will directly benefit the patients the ambulance service attends to.
'We were the first crew on scene and quite clearly the car Clark had been driving had gone through two fences and into a tree'
Speaking of the accident, Brown said: “I remembered it had started snowing that night and there was a light covering over the road. We were the first crew on scene and quite clearly the car Clark had been driving had gone through two fences and into a tree."
Brown was the first to inspect the vehicle, and after seeing the wreckage of the car - which had suffered “massive damage - feared the worst for who was inside. He added: “Clark was unconscious and obviously very, very ill."
After assessing the scene, Gary and Jenny realised he needed to be transferred to hospital immediately. Clark was initially taken to Borders General Hospital, before being transferred to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. Gary said after he was handed into the care of hospital clinicians, he didn’t think would make it.
Paul Denton, Chief Executive Officer, Scottish Building Society added: “We’re very proud to donate to Scottish Ambulance Service in Hawick for the second time.
“It’s a charity which we know is very close to Darcy’s heart, and we are very aware of the lifesaving work they do across the Borders. It’s great to have their work highlighted and supported in this way."
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