Scotland rugby star Darcy Graham visits Hawick 999 crew to thank them for helping save his brother’s life

​Hawick rugby star Darcy Graham called in at his home-town’s ambulance station to further thank paramedics there for helping save his younger brother Clark’s life after he was involved in a car crash in 2021.
By Darin Hutson
Published 25th May 2023, 10:45 BST
Scotland and Edinburgh wing Darcy Graham at Hawick ambulance station on Thursday, May 18, to thank paramedics Gary Brown and Jenny Braithwaite (Pic: Scottish Ambulance Service)Scotland and Edinburgh wing Darcy Graham at Hawick ambulance station on Thursday, May 18, to thank paramedics Gary Brown and Jenny Braithwaite (Pic: Scottish Ambulance Service)
Scotland and Edinburgh wing Darcy Graham at Hawick ambulance station on Thursday, May 18, to thank paramedics Gary Brown and Jenny Braithwaite (Pic: Scottish Ambulance Service)

​The 33-times-capped Scotland international winger had already nominated the Howdenbank ambulance base as the good cause he wanted to benefit from the £500 donation that came with his Edinburgh player of the month award for April but decided to go further by popping into hand over that money, along with a signed match jersey, last Thursday.

That was the second time he’d picked the Borders ambulance base to benefit from his award money, having done so last September too.

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The 25-year-old’s brother Clark, 17 at the time, was left in a coma for over three weeks after coming off the A7 Carlisle-Edinburgh road near Ashkirk in January 2021 but is now on the mend, thanks to the care he received afterwards.

Darcy Graham with mum Leah, dad Ali, brother Clark and sister Rhianna (Pic: Bill McBurnie)Darcy Graham with mum Leah, dad Ali, brother Clark and sister Rhianna (Pic: Bill McBurnie)
Darcy Graham with mum Leah, dad Ali, brother Clark and sister Rhianna (Pic: Bill McBurnie)

Graham met paramedics Gary Brown and Jenny Braithwaite, the first crew to arrive at the crash scene, at the station to express his gratitude to them and their colleagues.

“It means so much to me and my family,” said Graham.

“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.

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Scotland and Edinburgh wing Darcy Graham at Hawick ambulance station on Thursday, May 18, to thank paramedics Gary Brown and Jenny Braithwaite (Pic: Scottish Ambulance Service)Scotland and Edinburgh wing Darcy Graham at Hawick ambulance station on Thursday, May 18, to thank paramedics Gary Brown and Jenny Braithwaite (Pic: Scottish Ambulance Service)
Scotland and Edinburgh wing Darcy Graham at Hawick ambulance station on Thursday, May 18, to thank paramedics Gary Brown and Jenny Braithwaite (Pic: Scottish Ambulance Service)

“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 by 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 those services just on the other end of a phone call.”

Brown, with the ambulance service for 14 years, 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.”

Clark was initially rushed to the Borders General Hospital at Melrose and later transferred to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

Related topics:Darcy GrahamHawickScotlandEdinburghGary BrownBorders