FRIENDS and family of a talented footballer who got married just three days before his death are raising money for a hospital ward where he was treated.

Craig Fairgrieve was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) in 2015 and passed away in July last year.

Now, two fundraising events are taking place to raise funds for Ward 8 at Edinburgh’s Western General Hospital.

The first fundraiser takes place at Dalkeith Miners Club, with a second event at Cockenzie and Port Seton Royal British Legion just over a fortnight later.

Craig’s sister Lynsay is among those planning the event in Dalkeith on February 22.

She said: “Craig was a friend to everybody.

“He was very laid back – if he was more laid back he would be horizontal.

“If somebody tooted at him in the street he would wave and he liked a bit of banter.

“He was notorious for lines out of films and he was a cheeky chappy and a guy with a smile on his face.”

Craig, of Prestonpans, played football for Tranent Juniors under-21s after growing up in Macmerry and going to Ross High School in Tranent.

He began to feel unwell towards the end of 2015.

His wife Amy said: “It all started with tiredness. Craig was going to work and coming home absolutely exhausted.

“We thought this was not normal and he got sent for blood tests.

“That was when we discovered it was leukaemia and he started treatment at the Western General Hospital.”

Craig, who was just 30 when he passed away, underwent chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant as part of his treatment.

Positively, he was told the condition was in remission and he was released from hospital, getting engaged in October 2017.

However, the leukaemia returned and Craig and Amy tied the knot in the Capital’s hospital on July 13.

Amy said: “His final wish was to get married.

“The ward was really, really good and got it together. I was given a wedding dress from one of the nurses; they were brilliant.”

A raffle and auction will be held at the first fundraiser, with prizes ranging from football tickets and golf vouchers to hair and beauty and bootcamp vouchers all up for grabs.

Music will be supplied on the night by a DJ and Lynsay, 34, explained why the event was taking place outwith East Lothian. She said: “A lot of the East Lothian venues were just too small.

“We tried to keep it in East Lothian but we are looking for 250 tickets to be sold.

“The tickets are out there and we are pretty much down to the last 40 or 50.”

Money raised on the night will go to the haematology ward (Ward 8) at the hospital.

Ahead of the event, more than £1,000 has already been raised. Meanwhile, the second fundraiser, on March 9, is a drag queen evening and disco.

Amy said: “That is the sort of person Craig was – he was always up for a laugh and all about a good time.”

For tickets (£5) to the fundraiser in Dalkeith, contact Kayleigh Szymanski or Dave Forsyth, and for tickets to the fundraiser in Cockenzie call Charles Brown on 07904 756617.

To make a donation, go to justgiving.com/crowdfunding/craig-fairgrieve