Pride of Manchester 2023: Child of Courage Taylor Dignan

Taylor was diagnosed with Anterior Segment Dysgenesis shortly after he was born, and had the first of many operations when he was just two days old. ASD is a spectrum of disorders, and in Taylor’s case, he is blind in one eye, has “shell-like” teeth and has to inject growth hormones every day.
Taylor, from Stockport, was bullied at school for looking different, which affected his confidence, but rather than feeling sorry for himself, at the age of 10 he decided to raise money for the hospitals that continue to treat him and also help other children with disabilities celebrate their differences.
For his first challenge he completed 11 one-mile runs cheered on by mum Sam, dad Dan, and younger brothers Harrison, eight, and Bobby, six. He ended up at his beloved Stockport County football ground and managed to raise more than £2,500 for Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital and Manchester Royal Eye Hospital.
For his next challenge, Taylor is running 20 miles in 20 days with 20 people - and so far he has already raised £1,700 towards his £5,000 target.