Queen’s Jubilee birthday honours: Volunteer awarded BEM for Covid patient care

Alex Griffiths started caring for his mother when he was five years old and went on to care for critically ill patients during the Covid pandemic

A man who looked after Covid patients in their final moments in hospital has been received a British Empire Medal (BEM) in the Queen's Birthday Honours.

Alex Griffiths, 22, had started an apprenticeship at Dudley's Russell Hall Hospital when the pandemic began.

With visitors stopped from going into the building, he cared for critically ill patients which he said was "a shock to the system" and "draining".

Getting the honour is "just overwhelming", Mr Griffiths said.

His experience in caring started from a young age when, aged five, he become the principal carer for his mother who has multiple sclerosis.

From his teens, he also cared for his grandparents as his grandmother was a double amputee and his grandfather suffered a series of strokes and kidney failure.

"People are so shocked when they hear about it, even when they hear what young carers do and people are just 'wow'," Mr Griffiths said.

'Spark of hope'

The early experience of caring made him "200% convinced I was put on the planet to look after people" and he started the apprenticeship.

While Covid "was a real eye opener", Mr Griffiths, from Brierley Hill, said he kept trying to be positive for the patients as "you just need that spark of hope".

He started studying for a degree in nursing and also volunteered to support the rollout of the vaccine programme in his area.

When he opened the letter about the BEM he said he could not believe it and still believes "at some point someone is going to jump out with a bunch of cameras".

"I am pretty sure I will spontaneously combust when I can tell everybody," he added.

Natalie Queiroz, who was stabbed 24 times in a street attack, becomes an MBE for her work to prevent knife crime

Other honours recipients from Birmingham and the Black Country include:

CBE

• Sarah-Jane Nicholson, chief executive of Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust - for services to leadership in the NHS

OBE

• Moeen Ali - for services to cricket

• Prof Paul Moss, professor of haematology at the University of Birmingham - for services to immunotherapy and Covid-19 research

• Dr Asim Yusuf, consultant psychiatrist and Islamic scholar - for services to the Muslim community

MBE

• Robert Warman, 75, of ITV News Central, who announced plans to retire in April - for services to broadcasting and journalism

• Natalie Queiroz, 46, from Birmingham, who was stabbed 24 times in a street attack and went on to campaign about the dangers of carrying knives - for services to young people and the prevention of knife crime

• Tariq Ali - for services to the community in Wolverhampton during Covid-19

• Razia Hadait, founder of Himaya Haven Community Interest Company - for services to the community in Birmingham

• Badrun Pasha, co-founder of Bangladeshi Women's Association - for services to the Bangladeshi community

• Heather Cruickshanks, 76, Stourbridge, leader of Trefoil Guild - for services to girlguiding and to young people

• Dr Chithra Ramakrishnan, 54, Solihull, founder director of the British Carnatic Choir, appointed MBE for services to the promotion of south Indian Classical music and dance

• Mohammad Asad, an imam and Muslim chaplain from Walsall - for services to charitable fundraising and to the NHS during Covid-19

• Dr Chithra Ramakrishnan - for services to the promotion of South Indian Classical music and dance

BEM

• Sharon Jackson, Windrush compensation scheme volunteer - for public service

• Fazle Kinkhabwala - for services to the Indian and Pakistani communities in Birmingham and to the King Edward VI schools

• Janine Bowers Wild - for services to the community in Smethwick, particularly during Covid-19

• Glenys Allison, 73, from Darlaston Swimming Club - for voluntary services to swimming and to young people in the West Midlands

• Jaqueline Careless, project manager at Allen's Cross Community Garden - for services to the community in Northfield, Birmingham

• Alex Grifiths - for services to the NHS and the community in the West Midlands

Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [e-mail]