Queen’s Gold Medal

Christopher Vingoe of the Kings Lynn Ward, Norwich England Stake, overcame severe brain injuries in his childhood to achieve six grade A’s at A-level last year. That’s like doing well on the college entrance exams and placement tests in six different subjects. This incredible feat earned Christopher the Queen’s Gold Medal for Academic Achievement.

Queen Elizabeth II presented Christopher with the award. “She was lovely and very easy to chat to,” says Christopher, who is now serving a mission in Leeds, England. He even told her a little about missionary service for the Church.

When he was six, Christopher was hit by a car while crossing the street. He spent five days in a coma and had a blood clot on his brain. His recovery has amazed doctors. When Queen Elizabeth was told about Christopher’s accident and how he has recovered, she joked, “Perhaps it knocked some sense into him.”

Photographs courtesy of the Vingoe family