INSPIRATIONAL schoolboy Luke Mortimer took centre stage at last night's Pride of Britain Awards.
In front of an audience that included the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, and a host of celebrities, Luke was presented with his Child of Courage award by former rugby union player Jason Leonard.
The audience at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London watched how Luke , was told of his award earlier this week by Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson.
The Rock, posing as a member of staff at the London hotel where Luke and his dad, Adam, were staying, walked into the hotel room delivering a couple of burgers.
He joined a stunned Luke on the sofa, telling him he had heard all about his fundraising activities and was probably his 'biggest fan, literally'.
"It all took a while to sink in, I thought this can't be real," said Luke.
There was also a special message by television presenters Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly who described Luke as a 'legend' and 'an incredible young man who was well deserving of the award'.
Luke, 12, joined at the Daily Mirror organised awards by mum and dad, Christine and Adam, and older brother Harry, was pictured with celebrities including actor, Michael Sheen, former boxer, Barry McGuigan and rapper Aitch.
Luke was left a quadruple amputee after contracting meningococcal meningitis septicaemia in 2019.
He said how it everything had been very hard to start with.
"I was very scared about what people would think about me, it was very tough," he said.
Dad, Adam, said: "We are massively proud of Luke, he takes everything in his now slightly smaller size.
"He had his moments but mostly got stuck into whatever the task needed, from trying to balance to learning to use cutlery again, all mastered with a smile.”
Over the years, Luke and his family, who live in Embsay, have raised over £70,000 to pay for his own needs and for others in similar situations.
In 2023, Luke climbed to the top of Embsay Crag, raising more than £26,000 for charities including LimbPower and Children in Need.
A year later, Luke ‘s dad joined a team of 19 to climb the National Three Peaks and Yorkshire Three Peaks in under 46 hours. Luke, mum Christine, and brother Harry, 15, climbed Penyghent, where they met the rest of the group on the summit.
Luke is determined to keep doing challenges to raise even more money. He said: “I’ve gone through all this, everyone focused on me, and there are others in need so I want to give back to the people who saved me and others who need help.”
The Pride of Britain judges said: “Talk about determination. It’s hard to imagine how tough losing his limbs must have been for such an active young boy, but he has simply refused to let anything hold him back. An inspiration.”
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