Friends and family of Sam, one of our amazing young people, who passed away in December after a long battle with a rare blood disorder, are planning a series of events to pay tribute to him. Sam, a 22-year-old psychology student, who received a liver transplant when he was just two, was a keen supporter of Children’s Liver Disease Foundation, raising over £1000 when he completed the Helsinki Marathon in 2024. Now his fellow students at University of East Anglia, together with friends and family, have come together to honour his memory and raise funds for a cause close to his heart. We’re very grateful to his girlfriend, Poppy, for telling us why.
Sam was absolutely the most positive person you could meet. Despite having been born with biliary atresia, undergoing a transplant and dealing with a blood disorder, he rarely spoke about his health problems. He was far more interested in enjoying every day, running and generally being a wonderful person to be around.
Sam was always a keen runner. He and his dad Stuart took gold in the Father and Son 3K at the British Transplant Games!
We were on the same course, our accommodation blocks were opposite each other, and we met pretty much in the first week of term. It must have been fate. We had little over two years together, but they were a brilliant two years, and I have since learned that Sam was planning to propose. Sam was the love of my life so I have no regrets – just a determination to do everything I can to honour his memory in the best way possible.
The news of Sam’s passing was shared with our fellow psychology students at the University of East Anglia early in January and shortly afterwards I received a message from Amy, who knew us both, about the chance to raise some money in Sam’s name. Sam’s family and I had already decided that raising money to support children and young people with liver disease was something we wanted to do this year, so I leapt at the opportunity.
A small craft fair was being advertised at the university and there was a stall available which we could use to do a bake sale. Amy is the psychology school convenor and so was able to get the word out to the right people to get the bake sale advertised. I was amazed at the response. Not only did plenty of people offer to bake for us but we had so many customers on the day. Even the people on the stall next door to us donated their takings, which was so kind. I had hoped that we might raise £200 from this bake sale but our total was £670, which is why we’re planning another one soon!
Amy then mentioned to me that the School of Psychology usually puts forward a ‘challenge’ to their students each year and we could do one in honour of Sam. Because Sam had passed away just weeks after his 22nd birthday, I came up with the theme of 22, so we would ask people to complete 22km in any way they like in the first 22 days of March. We have opened up the challenge to everyone, not just UEA students and have a good amount of people signed up and dedicated to raising some funds in Sam’s name.
Our plan is that weather permitting, the challenge will culminate in a Remembrance Walk – a 2.2km walk on March 22nd. Again, this is open to all of Sam’s family and friends and will take place at Eaton Park in Norwich. This was a special place for me and Sam. We’d have hot chocolate and a fish finger sandwich and play mini golf, or even just take a football to kick about on the grass. It was where we’d go when we needed a break from studying or just some fresh air. I know it was where Sam used to do Parkrun and there are pictures of him running in the park as a child so it feels right that we should do a special event there.
Eaton Park was a special place for Sam and Poppy.
The events of the next few weeks are just part of what I want to do to honour Sam. I plan to continue fundraising after I graduate (we were due to graduate together this July) and my brother, Ben, will be running the Brighton Marathon for British Liver Trust in April. It’s heartening to think that Sam’s funeral donations, together with what we have raised so far, mean we have already donated £8,200 to a cause which meant a lot to him. That total, together with the amazing support and kindness of fellow students, friends and family in joining in our activities means a great deal to us during a very dark time. Something truly positive will come out of our grief. And I know this is what Sam would have wanted.
You can support fundraising in memory of Sam at Sam Wainwright is fundraising for British Liver Trust
And Ben’s Brighton Marathon fundraising page is https://www.justgiving.com/page/brighton-marathon-in-memory-of-sam-wainwright?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL&utm_campaign=020.
