A Bury dad who lost his daughter to a rare cardiac condition says "she is the "driving force behind everything I do" after being awarded a prestigious medal.
David Hutton's six-year-old daughter Isla died in October 2022 after suffering with Long QT, a very rare genetic heart condition, and has been raising money and awareness in her memory ever since.
David, 39, was one of 28 individuals from around the UK awarded the British Citizen Award (BCA) for exceptional endeavours at the Palace of Westminster last month, at an event hosted by TV presenter Matt Allwright.
In memory of Isla, David co-founded and became a trustee of the charity, Team 1C, along with a group of parents whose children were born with congenital heart defects.
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The charity formed in 2017 while living on a cardiac ward with their children, to date they have funded 201 heart surgeries and raised more than £130,000 for charity.
David says receiving the award felt "bittersweet" as Isla is not here to be part of what he has achieved.
Following the ceremony, David said: "It was incredibly inspiring being among so many people who are doing amazing things for their communities.
"Being at the awards really highlighted how prestigious the BCA is. They may not be the most widely recognised yet, but being ‘the people’s award’, I don’t think it really gets any more special than that.
"Receiving the honour at the Palace of Westminster was an amazing feeling. I accepted the award for Isla as she is the driving force behind everything I do, and the BCA will hopefully open up possibilities to do even more."
David is the author of "The Long Cutie" blogs, a story of his and Isla's (who he affectionately called "Isla Bear") journey through life.
He is also involved in research about Long QT, via Thryv Therapeutics.
David is a patient advocate and shares his experience and knowledge to support the Long QT community.
Just two weeks after Isla's death and surrounded by his Team 1C family, David did a fire walk, wearing Bear Ears, raising more than £5,000 for Ronald McDonald House charity.
It is bittersweet, but a comfort to David to know that he and Isla are going to save lives.
David was presented with the BCA Medal of Honour by Stephanie Wood, managing director of BCA Partners One Stop, who said: “Many congratulations to David Hutton for being presented with their Medal of Honour, what an achievement.
“This year was One Stop’s sixth year sponsoring the British Citizen Awards and yet again, we were amazed by the stories of such remarkable people across the country.
"Their acts of kindness and hard work in bettering their communities is truly inspirational. Congratulations to all of the medallists.”
The British Citizen Award was established in 2015 to recognise exceptional individuals who work tirelessly and selflessly to make a positive impact on their communities and society.
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