Simon

Simon was born with severe haemophilia A, but to those who loved him he was never defined by his condition. He was a much-loved son, brother and friend with his whole life ahead of him.

When Simon was just ten years old, everything changed. He became gravely ill with hepatitis B, and his family were told he was not expected to survive. They gathered around his hospital bed, facing the unimaginable possibility of losing their little boy. Against the odds, Simon pulled through, but none of them could have known that an even greater tragedy still lay ahead.

While attending Lord Mayor Treloar's College, Simon became one of the children enrolled in NHS experimental treatment programmes without his parents' knowledge or informed consent. Years later, the Infected Blood Inquiry revealed evidence that some children with haemophilia involved in this research had been described as being "cheaper than chimpanzees." Behind those shocking words were real children, real families and lives that would be changed forever.

Through contaminated blood products, Simon contracted hepatitis C and HIV. Instead of looking forward to adulthood, he faced illness after illness, while those who loved him watched helplessly as his health deteriorated. His parents devoted themselves to caring for him, and his brother Chris and sister Nicky stood beside him throughout his journey, sharing both the practical burden of his care and the heartbreak of knowing there was nothing they could do to stop what was happening.

In 1988, at just 23 years old, Simon died.

For his family, the loss did not end with his death. They were left not only with overwhelming grief, but with the knowledge that Simon's life had been cut short by treatments that were meant to help him. Decades later, they continue to seek the truth, honour his memory and ensure that his story—and the stories of so many others—are never forgotten.