Inspirational Thalidomide victim deleted MBE email out of modesty, thinking it a hoax

Although he has worked tirelessly to support others like himself, born without limbs due to the drug Thalidomide, he did not think his efforts were worthy of such an accolade.

The 59-year-old who lives in Broughshane said: “I got an email in June. I put it into the trash bin because I thought it was a scam.

“Then my wife May said for me to keep an eye on my emails because I might be getting something important. I had to retrieve it.

“I get a lot of rubbish coming in. I wouldn’t be hesitant about trashing something if I wasn’t 100% confident about where it has come from.”

Of the MBE he said: “It was a very pleasant surprise, a delighted one as well. I’m very humbled and touched that friends would put me forward. But it’s not just me, it’s my wife too, we’re a team. We’ve been doing it for 20 years now.”

He commented: “My mum and dad were in despair when I was born with no arms. They got no answers for over a year after I was born. It was because of two Thalidomide tablets my mum took for morning sickness back in 1961.

“Sadly my mum and dad are not here today to know what has happened. My father died in 1994 and my mum in 1998.

“I know if they were here today they’d be thinking back 59 years ago to when they were in despair, wondering what was the future for their third child, and here I am today being honoured by the Queen and by our nation for the work that we’ve done around the world, helping boys and girls in Brazil and 11 different countries around the world. It’s very humbling.”

Brian grew up in Ballyclare and now lives in Broughshane with his wife May, having spent a large part of his life living on the Isle of Man.

At an early age Brian was given metal arms but he found them painful and cumbersome and he preferred using his feet: “The only time that they’re my feet are when I’m walking. The rest of the time they’re my hands.”

He said: “In the UK there were over 500 Thalidomiders, just like myself, with no arms, limbs, with different disabilities. Around the world nearly 10,000 babies were born like myself. When I was at Fleming Fulton school there probably was about 10 or 12 of us.”

Brian, who has written a book called Look, No Arms, said the turning point in his life was at 13 when he was told he would no longer have to wear his metal arms.

It was also at the age of 13 that Brian became a Christian.

He said: “I could still be angry at that German company, but God knew that I was going to be born with no arms. He was not surprised. He has turned around what seemed like a disaster.

“I was angry at God for the first 13 years of my life, but he forgave me and accepted me and over all these years I’ve been able to been an encourager to many, many people throughout the world. It’s been a joy to be able to do that.”

Brian and May have been to 34 different countries to share his life story and testimony to church groups, prisoners, school groups and others.

Brian received his MBE for services to Thalidomide survivors in Brazil and children with disabilities throughout the world.

He said: “In 1987 the Lord spoke into my heart and told to give myself to the poor and needy and the oppressed. Six years later in 1993 a lady in church told me to watch a programme about Brazil.

“As I watched the programme, tears came down my cheeks. They showed you little boys and girls with no limbs because their mothers had been given Thalidomide to treat leprosy. Many of the women were from the shanty towns, they didn’t understand the danger to the child in the womb.

“I was angry, it was a righteous anger. The Lord spoke into my heart several days later and told me to help those children in Brazil. He told me to write my life story and use the proceeds to help disabled children.”

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