Pride as teen wins inspirational child award

Ansel Hayward from Birmingham won the Inspirational Young Person award at the WellChild Awards, where he met Prince Harry

A mother has spoken of her pride after her 13-year-old son was honoured with a national award and met Prince Harry at the ceremony.

Ansel Hayward from Birmingham was handed the Inspirational Young Person Award, for which hundreds of children had been nominated, at the national WellChild Awards on Monday night for his bravery and resilience.

The 13-year-old, who is deaf; has autism, epilepsy, and a tracheostomy; and was born with his liver and bowels outside his body, said he had a fantastic time and enjoyed meeting Prince Harry, who is a WellChild patron.

Despite his health conditions, his mother Claire Hayward said: "He absolutely lives life to the full."

Ms Hayward told BBC Radio WM: "Ansel was very lucky to get the inspirational child award.

"I think they recognised [his] resilience and commented on how much he loves animals and recycling and looking after the planet - so we were very, very, very proud of him when he won."

She added: "It's just recognition for Ansel. He has some down days and some times when he feels sad and overwhelmed - [he's] in hospital a lot.

"So to have something like this, to always treasure and look back on, amazing pictures, fantastic award - it just gives us hope and strength to keep going even when it's hard."

Ansel's seizures can last for hours and often require emergency hospital care, but a spokesperson for WellChild, which is the national charity for seriously ill children, said: "Despite this, he shows remarkable bravery, making mature decisions about his treatment and always focusing on living life to the fullest.

"Known to be a kind and compassionate young man, Ansel has a deep love for animals, nature and the environment and enjoys litter picking, recycling, and finding creative ways to reuse everyday items."

Ansel was nervous to meet Prince Harry but said it was fantastic

He was nominated for the award by Claire Watson, a professional from a specialist tracheostomy support group.

Ms Watson said: "Ansel is such a selfless young man who has made some very difficult decisions to live his life to the fullest, even if that means his life is shortened.

"I think receiving a WellChild Award will help him to see what a brave young man he is, how proud his parents are of him, and also just how much he is loved and respected by his family, his local and wider community."

Ansel said it was fantastic to meet Prince Harry, but he was nervous about meeting him.

He was also excited about a celebrity sat at his table - three-time winner of the World's Strongest Man, Tom Stoltman.

Ms Hayward laughed: "Ansel tried to give him extra food from his dinner for his muscles."