Young dad nominated for Pride of Scotland Award after raising £150,000 for sick children

Samuel Bell, who founded Samuel's Smiles and has raised more than £150,000 for children with rare conditions, has been nominated for a Pride of Scotland Special Recognition Award.

Samuel Bell, now 27, has been nominated for a Pride of Scotland Special Recognition Award. Born with Hirschsprung's disease, he faced serious early health risks but has lived with long-term medical needs. He set up the charity Samuel's Smiles on his 16th birthday and has run it for 11 years. The charity arranges days out, events and support for families of children with rare conditions. Key details: - Samuel was born with Hirschsprung's disease and has undergone more than 100 procedures; he is fed through a tube and carries IV medication in a backpack for ongoing care. - He founded Samuel's Smiles at age 16 and, over the past 11 years, has raised more than £150,000 and helped over 100 families across the UK. - Samuel works in firefighter control answering 999 calls, joined the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service two years ago, and is currently off sick because of complications with his condition. - His son Mateo, born in July 2023, also has the condition, has required several surgeries and spent time in intensive care, and is reported to be doing better now. - Samuel previously won a Little Hero Award in 2004 and is now up for a Pride of Scotland nomination; this year's ceremony will take place at the Glasgow Hilton and will be hosted by Elaine C Smith and Sanjeev Kohli. Summary: Samuel's fundraising and support work has provided events, day trips and round-the-clock advice to families of children with rare conditions, reaching more than 100 families and raising over £150,000. His nomination for a Pride of Scotland Special Recognition Award recognises this long-running charitable work and will be noted at the Glasgow Hilton ceremony hosted by Elaine C Smith and Sanjeev Kohli.