A FAMILY today agreed to accept a £2million compensation payout after medical errors during his birth resulted in their son developing cerebral palsy.
The long-running battle on behalf of Craig Walsh, now aged 11, ended when lawyers representing Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Healthcare NHS Trust made a sudden about turn. But today Craig's devoted parents, Ann and John, said that although they were delighted their son's future was secured they would gladly give it all away if he could just have been allowed a normal life.
The couple told of their struggle to meet the demands of raising Craig, a former Lancashire Evening Telegraph Child of Courage, and the support they have had from friends and neighbours in Henry Whalley Street, Mill Hill.
And they paid a special tribute to solicitor Michael Corrigan, a partner in Farleys, who has been fighting Craig's case for nine years and even ran the New York Marathon to raise money for the family. Mr Walsh, 54, said: "If at any stage Michael had said we didn't have a case we would just have walked away and got on with things as best we could.
"There have been times when it seemed like nothing would ever happen but Michael and everyone at Farleys were always positive and supportive and we cannot thank them enough.
"For the last 11 years we have struggled to do our best for Craig and at times it has been very hard.
"There has always been the worry of who will look after him when we have gone and it is such a relief to know that he is provided for in every way for the rest of his life. This money is for Craig not us."
Ann, 45, said they were now looking forward to being just a mum and dad again. She said: "Caring for Craig 24 hours a day over the last 11 years and having to scrimp and scrape and wait for everything has been an enormous strain.
"Now he can go to a special school and get the physiotherapy and speech therapy he needs.
"If he needs a new wheelchair we will be able to get one straight away and everything can be done to make his life as normal as possible.
"All that can be organised and paid for and we can just concentrate on loving him like a mum and dad."
Craig was virtually still born after his labour was mismanaged and he needed extensive treatment before he was allowed home from Queen's Park Hospital.
But John and Ann were not told he was suffering from cerebral palsy until he was 13 months old.
"We didn't even know what it was," said John.
The illness meant that Craig didn't start to walk until he was three and a half and did not speak until he was four.
"I'd taken him to Rovers in his wheelchair and everyone was chanting 'Shearer' and Craig said it," said John.
"That was the first word he had ever spoken and I ran home to tell Ann. It was so important to us." Craig, who has a mental age of five, remains a committed Rovers fan and is crazy about soccer.
"He has watched every single game in the World Cup," said Ann.
"He even takes a football to bed with him."
Carig was chosen as the most courageous child in East Lancashire when his dad nominated him for the Lancashire Evening Telegraph Children of Courage Awards in April 2000.
The judges were impressed with Craig's fierce determination to walk and talk despite initial medical predictions that neither would be possible.
Craig's bravery was rewarded with a VIP trip to his beloved Blackburn Rovers - the place where he spoke his first word at the age of four.
Michael Corrigan said he was delighted for Craig and for his parents that an agreement had eventually been made.
He said: "Liability wasn't admitted until two years ago and the first offer of compensation was only made three weeks ago.
"After liability was admitted I made two applications for interim payments, both for specific medical reasons, and they were both refused.
"Not a penny has been paid in nine years and then we have gone from a first offer to a final settlement of £2 million in the last three weeks."
Craig has to share a bedroom with his sister Abigail, 8.
But soon they hope to be able to move to a bungalow which will be specially adapted to his needs.
Nobody at the health trust was available for comment today.
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