As a player Colin Cooper always wore his heart on his sleeve but nowadays the former Middlesbrough defender has a dragonfly adorning his shirts.
It was originally adopted by the Hartlepool United manager as a tribute to his sadly departed son but these days it is also a symbol of the amazing work the former England international and his wife have done in their child’s name.
Nearly 12 years ago Finlay Cooper, aged two, died in tragic circumstances when he choked on a screw at the Cooper’s family home in Goldsborough near Harrogate.
On Tuesday night, speaking at the Houses of Parliament, Colin recounted the awful events of that evening and then went on to explain why the dragonfly he now wears with such pride has come to mean so much to him.
“We lost Finlay in a choking accident on Saturday 26 July 2002 a horrific night for myself, my wife Julie and our three beautiful girls.”
“It was that night that the dragon fly came into our lives,” he explained. “We were given a book called Waterbugs and Dragonflies in an attempt to explain Fin’s death to our daughters.
“It tells the story of the waterbugs playing underneath the water all together.
“But one of the waterbugs disappears off to the surface and turns into a dragonfly and flies away but unfortunately cannot return to the pond.
“So, we now all wear our dragonflies with pride as a symbol to Finlay’s memory and our common bond.”
In August 2006 the symbol of the dragonfly took on further meaning when the Finlay Cooper Fund was born.
Set up originally to help local children’s charities in the Teesside area, the charity has since branched out into other parts of the country and does amazing work having raised over £350,000 already.
Last year Colin was one of 15 Finlay Cooper Fund supporters who scaled Mount Kilimanjaro raising an incredible £100,000 and, later this year, the ex-Premier League star is dusting off his walking boots again.
“We’re attempting to get as many people as we can across the three Yorkshire Peaks on 21 June,” explained Cooper. “ If anybody fancies joining us they’re more than welcome.”
On behalf of The Football Association, Adrian Bevington, Club England managing director, said: "The FA is delighted to be supporting such a worthy cause as the Finlay Cooper Fund on this auspicious occasion.
"All involved in the charity - particularly Colin and his wife Julie – do so much amazing work to improve the lives of young people in difficult circumstances. It is great they are being recognised with a special event at the Houses of Parliament.”
If you want to join Colin on that expedition or just find out more information on his charity The Finlay Cooper Fund you can do so here: www.finlaycooperfund.co.uk
