Champion Children of Courage

Jul 13 2008 by Pauline Holt, Sunday Sun

JUDGES of the Champion Child of Courage award found it such a tough task trying to decide on a winner that they took the generous step of awarding prizes to all three shortlisted youngsters.

Chris Henderson, sales and marketing manager for sponsors Anson Ltd, said: “It’s been very, very difficult for us to pick from three children that have shown such courage. They keep on smiling through all their problems and that’s a lesson to us all as we sit round these tables about why we should keep a smile on our faces.

“So it’s a little bit different tonight. I am not going to announce one winner, I am going to announce three because the decision was so difficult it just wasn’t fair to pick one alone.

“We’re pleased to announce that all of them will receive certificates and prize money.”

The winners were Jane Dorothy Doolin, of Denton Burn, Newcastle, Christopher McKitten, of Pelaw, Gateshead, and Lily Joy Slater, of Boldon Colliery, South Tyneside.

Nine-year-old Jane was diagnosed with meningitis at the tender age of seven months. The youngster’s legs were ravaged by septicaemia and she also lost eight fingers, prompting numerous operations which she has to endure every year, with surgeons breaking her bones and inserting pins to encourage growth.

But Jane never complains — despite often suffering severe pain — and she is also winning her battle to walk, thanks to a special metal frame.

Her mum, Lorraine, said she was, “ecstatic” at Jane’s win. Jane is planning to buy a Nintendo Wii for herself and her elder sister Alice, 12, who recently did a sponsored swim with her mum and cousin raising £1200 for the Meningitis Trust.

Christopher lost a leg to a rare form of bone cancer and has had to undergo 13 operations. But he’s just been given a prosthetic leg and the Magpies fan is back playing football on crutches. His proud mum and dad, Sean and Wendy, both 40, say their son’s ordeal has made him wise beyond his years. Sean said: “He’s amazing. He’s done me proud.

“We’ve got photos of him from throughout his treatment and I don’t think there’s a single one in which he isn’t smiling . . . he’s been upbeat the whole time and worries more about how the rest of his family are.”

Lily Joy Slater was nominated by her mum Shirley, who also successfully nominated the team who treated Lily at Newcastle General. Unfortunately Lily couldn’t be at the ceremony as she was picking up another award in South Tyneside and on October 27 she’ll be travelling to London to be presented with yet another at the national WellChild awards, whose patron is Prince Harry.

Shirley said: “She’s amazing and just takes everything in her stride.”