THE Duke and Duchess of Sussex and British pop star Pixie Lott awarded a young carer from Barnsley a prestigious award during a ceremony in London on Tuesday.
William Jones, 16, of Furlong Road, Bolton upon Dearne, was nominated for a WellChild Award by his mum Michelle for the dedication he has to caring for his younger brother James.
James, now nine, was born with complex medical needs which saw him spending long periods of time in hospital. While James was undergoing treatment, William moved in with family and friends to allow his mother to stay with his younger brother in hospital.
When James was ready to come home, William asked nurses to train him so that he could help with James’s care needs at home.
In addition to this William has raised more than £1,000 for Sheffield Children’s Hospital by organising bike rides, tombolas and raffles with his friends and contributed to campaigns to inform government about the impact of having a sibling with special needs.
Michelle nominated William for the award as she felt he deserved to be recognised for his dedication and commitment to helping his younger brother.
William was picked from hundreds of nominations from across the UK to win the category of Most Caring Child.
“Will always helps out with James, visits him in hospital and shows tremendous love at all times,” said Michelle.
“It’s wonderful to see how James’s face lights up when Will is beside him. I am a very proud mum to an inspirational young man.”
During the awards ceremony at the Royal Lancaster Hotel William and Michelle met with the Duke and Duchess before William was announced as the winner and given his award by Pixie Lott.
Michelle said: “Will gave the Duchess some flowers and Harry joked asking if he should be concerned. They were so warm and friendly and were genuinely interested in why Will had been nominated.
“It was amazing for him to finally realise all he does to help with James is far beyond what anyone would expect.”
