By Amy Pollock
A BANGOR teenager has been spotlighted for his ‘thoughtful creativity’ at the acclaimed Spirit of Northern Ireland Awards, which praises everyday people for their extraordinary achievements.
Noah McVeigh (13) was the proud recipient of the Spirit of Youth award for his work with Cancer Fund for Children to produce a comic book for young people impacted by the disease.
Following his own mother’s breast cancer diagnosis in 2022, Noah collaborated with other youths facing similar situations, charity support workers and graphic designers to create characters and a script for the comic book, which aims to guide children aged eight to 11 through the help that’s available when a family member is living with cancer.
A video detailing Noah’s story was played at the awards ceremony to a star-studded audience, including some of the best-known names in TV, film, music and sport.
In the video, a testimony for Noah read: “He used his creativity and kindness to offer young people the guide he never had and to let other children facing a similar situation know they are not alone.
“Noah’s drive to help others, even while living through his own challenges, is beyond his years.”
Speaking of his astonishment on the night, Noah said: “I didn’t expect to win at all, so it was a bit of a shock, but it’s an absolute honour to win. It feels absolutely amazing.”
Noah’s win saw him join 13 other winners at this year’s awards ceremony, held at The Culloden Estate and Spa.
His father Gareth said he and his wife, Judith, are ‘over the moon’ at their son’s incredible award win.
“We’re very, very proud of Noah. We’re just delighted that all the hard work and dedication he’s put in over the last 18 months has been recognised.
“But that’s not why he did it – he did it just because that’s what he has the heart for. But to get something like that means a lot to him and will give him a lot of confidence going forward as well, which is just brilliant.”
Alongside his mum and dad, Noah is planning to create a second edition comic book to further help children and teenagers understand the changes and challenges associated with a cancer diagnosis.
