A schoolgirl who has "suffered" with a rare illness since birth has been honoured with a prestigious award.
Poppy-Mae Jones, nine, from Ellesmere Port, was born with a bowel condition that causes her excruciating stomach pain every day. In March 2020, Poppy-mae had to undergo a major operation, called a colectomy, at Alder Hey Children's Hospital, which involved having her large colon removed.
She also had an ileostomy fitted to her small intestine, meaning that her small bowel is now diverted through an opening in her stomach, and a special bag has been attached to collect waste products. Doctors hoped the operation would help with Poppy-Mae’s pain however her mum, Sharon, says that the condition can still sometimes be “debilitating”.
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Sharon told the ECHO : “Poppy has suffered since she was a baby with bowel issues. It’s obviously really hard to diagnose bowel issues at any age but especially as a child. She also suffers with joint hypermobility and has limited movement in her hips and legs and gets a lot of pain.
“As she’s gotten older and her bones are growing, things aren’t getting better. They’re actually getting worse.”
Despite Poppy-mae’s symptoms becoming increasingly problematic, the nine-year-old is determined to continue to raise money for both Alder Hey and the Countess of Chester Hospital. Her fundraising exploits, which have included a virtual climb of Mont Snowden, have raised more than £12,000 so far and the nine-year-old has now been selected to receive the British Citizen YouthAward (BCyA).
The award has been developed to recognise outstanding young individuals for their selfless acts of kindness and their positive impact on society, with only a handful of children chosen to receive the prize every year. And Sharon couldn't be more proud that Poppy-mae's incredible efforts are being recognised.
Sharon said: “With the British Citizen Award, its not a competition, you just get bestowed it which I think makes is that little bit more special. It just shows her outstanding achievements and what she’s done for her community.
"It’s been an absolute whirlwind. Me and her dad are over the moon. When we found out she’d got it I had a mini panic attack because I was that excited for her. She defintely deserves the recognition."
Poppy-mae will be presented with the award by the Rt. Hon. Baroness Cox at the Palace of Westminster on Thursday, October 20, and the event will be a welcome celebration after a tough few months for the family.
Sharon said: “We’ve had a new diagnosis recently and basically her whole digestive system doesn’t work so we’re struggling a little bit to manage that. But she’s doing okay and we’re managing to keep her out of hospital which is always our goal.
"She’s cracking on as she always does. She suffers but she just gets on with it.”
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