Prince Harry brings joy to children of courage

Oct 23 2007 by Liza Williams, Liverpool Daily Post

THREE brave Merseyside children who are battling with rare diseases or have helped to look after others were awarded at a glittering ceremony last night.

Cody Taylor, aged three, and Katie-Ellen Jones, four, were both rewarded for their courage in the face of debilitating illness and Simon Austin, 16, for his compassion when looking after his seven-year-old step-brother, who was diagnosed with cancer.

All three youngsters travelled to London yesterday and were presented with the WellChild Awards in a star-studded ceremony at Lords Cricket Ground, in the presence of the charity’s Royal patron Prince Harry.

Cody, who lives with her mother and father in Wallasey, was diagnosed with the rare genetic disorder Hurlers Syndrome when she was a baby.

She spent over 16 weeks in hospital having enzyme replacement treatment and also had a stem cell transplant which kept her in isolation for six months with no contact with the outside world. Cody has continuous problems with her bones and growth and her condition is reviewed every six months by many different clinics.

Her mother, Alison, said: “We are so proud of her, she takes it all in her stride.

“It is upsetting when Cody wants to do things other children are doing but finds she can’t quite keep up.

“But she still enjoys all the things her friends do, she just has to rest and take things a bit slower.

“I think the hardest part of Cody’s illness was when she was in isolation, it was very difficult but we knew it was necessary.

“As Cody grows up she will experience more problems and we will just have to deal them as they come.”

Katie-Ellen Jones, from Runcorn, also suffers from a rare condition known as Pallister Hall Syndrome. Some of the effects on her body include having seven fingers on one hand, epilepsy, small limbs and mobility problems. She also has a brain tumour, bowel problems, and is on a ventilator 24 hours a day.

The four-year-old has been operated on in Alder Hey 25 times during her life and has spent over 500 days in hospital.

In 2006, Katie-Ellen also suffered renal failure and her body shut down but a life support machine and dialysis kept her alive.

She battled through her illness and has made the remarkable recovery back home and into school, still having regular check-ups.

Her mother, Kerry, said: “We are proud of our daughter and what a brave little girl she is.”

All three youngsters were nominated for the prizes by members of their family.

Simon’s grandmother entered him into the awards for the care he gave to his step-brother, Callum.

The seven-year-old had to go through chemotherapy session for six months for cancerous tumours, and Simon devoted himself to looking after Callum, whilst also studying for his GCSEs.

He said: “I took one day off school a week to go with Callum to the hospital. I wanted to make sure he was OK, it was a horrible thing for him to have to go through and he needed me.”

lizawilliams