Mary Hare pupil to pick up inspirational award

11-year-old Newbury pupil awarded for his courage in coping with serious illness

A MARY Hare School pupil, who has spent most of his life in and out of hospital, will be handed an award for his inspirational story.

Eleven-year-old Jamie Jobson, who is profoundly deaf and has been seriously ill since birth, will collect the Inspirational Child award in the 2018 WellChild Awards ceremony, having been nominated by his mother Thandi Jobson.

WellChild is a national charity for seriously-ill children, and the awards, in association with GSK, celebrate the courage of children coping with serious illnesses or complex conditions and honour the dedication of professionals who go the extra mile to help sick children and their families.

Jamie was picked from hundreds of nominations from across the country and will be one of the stars of the show, which is attended by a host of celebrity supporters including WellChild’s patron Prince Harry.

Jamie, who is profoundly deaf and has multiple problems including serious digestive issues, spent the first 18 months of his life critically ill in hospital, and had to return for months at a time over the next 10 years.

Although doctors worried about his survival and quality of life, Jamie confounded everyone with his positive attitude, described by one nurse as “the life and soul of the ward”.

Following successful surgery, he is now able to manage his condition at home and is even learning to how to feed himself through a tube into his stomach.

Jamie is said to have exceeded expectations at every stage, and has recently started at Mary Hare School for deaf children in Newbury.

After getting cochlear im-plants, he has continued to thrive, learning to sign in record time and astounding everyone he meets. He recently took part in the Parallel London 1k Super Sensory Run in his walker to raise money for charity and is now in training for another fundraising event next year.

Jamie said: “I was shocked when mummy told me I had won an award. I’m excited to meet Prince Harry and stay in a hotel.”

Mrs Jobson, said: “Jamie has always been determined to be independent and his mischievous character shines through everything.

“I know winning a WellChild Award will hugely boost his confidence.

“When I told him how proud I am of him, his face lit up with the biggest grin ever and he signed, ‘I’m smiling!’”

WellChild’s director of programmes Linda Partridge said: “It is a tremendous challenge to select winners from the many, many truly amazing nominations we receive from all over the country.

“All the panel members are moved by the bravery of the children, the stories of selfless care and support and the dedication of the doctors, nurses, teachers, brothers and sisters who make a great difference to the lives of seriously-ill children and young people. Jamie truly deserves to be the winner of this award.

“The awards... are a perfect demonstration of WellChild’s commitment to helping as many seriously-ill children and their families as we can and embody our aim of raising awareness of their needs.”