Devizes girl with muscular dystrophy is star of children's book

Carmela has also received a British Citizen Youth Award and raised more than £400,000 for the charity since she was diagnosed

A nine-year-old with muscular dystrophy is the main character in a new children's book.

Courageous Carmela talks about about the challenges Carmela Chillery-Watson, from Devizes, lives with.

She has muscle weakness and uses mobility aids as a result of a rare form of the condition, for which there is no cure.

It has been written by her mum Lucy, who said profits will go to Muscular Dystrophy UK.

Carmela has before been nicknamed Wonder Girl after walking 10km (6.2 miles) every day for a month dressed as Wonder Woman in 2020.

Her mother explained how her daughter has "extra hurdles" to face on a daily basis: "For her, everyday tasks like getting on the bus can be a struggle.

"Sometimes lack of access can get in the way. Carmela feels left out when she just wants to play."

Carmela's mum, Lucy Watson, published her first book with her daughter starring in 2020

Carmela - who has met the Prince of Wales and David Beckham because of her fundraising - said she hopes the book will mean "other children like me don't feel like they're on their own."

"Hopefully, trips out will become a bit easier as places are made more accessible for people like me."

Illustrated by artist Paul Humphreys, it is written in simple rhyming verses showing how Carmela approaches a world built for "normal" people with positivity.

Lucy Watson published her first book in 2020, called Wonder Girl Carmela & Tinker the Stinker, which was about her daughter's adventures with her dog.

After reading it at Carmela's primary school, she asked the children for ideas and that inspired the latest story, aimed at four to eight-year-olds.

The book is illustrated by Paul Humphreys and written in rhyming verses

There is also some information in it for adults explaining how people with disabilities can be better included.

LMNA congenital muscular dystrophy - the rare form Carmela has - affects just one in a million children.

Phil Heighway from Muscular Dystrophy UK said "Lucy and Carmela are together helping to give a voice to some of the 110,000 people living in the UK with muscular dystrophy."

Carmela Chillery-Watson won the Bravery category at the BBC Radio Wiltshire Make a Difference Awards

Carmela was also recently the winner of a BBC Radio Wiltshire Make a Difference Award and chosen as the recipient of The British Citizen Youth Award.

She was presented the BCyA Medal of Honour at The Palace of Westminster on 12 October.