Children from Hastings and Rother have made incredible sacrifices to care for others during the coronavirus pandemic

Harry, aged 12, lives in Hastings and was nominated by his mother. Harry looks after his mother and his young sister who is 7 years old. His mother has many health problems which mean that she is very restricted in what she can do for herself.

Harry has to help her dress and help her with her every day needs. At night, when his mother is crying with pain he will go and sit with her, help her take her pain killers and stay with her until she falls asleep. He helps prepare meals and sometimes cooks for them as well as entertaining his sister when his mother has a “bad day”.

Harry worries about his mother’s future and this adds to his own personal issues. His mother said, “Harry has spent the last few months protecting his sister and I with all his might. He never asks me for anything or complains even though I know that behind his lovely little smile, he has the whole world on his shoulders. He is my rock, my carer, my best friend and has had to learn the hard way that he is now the man of the house. He is one in a million.”

Ollie, aged 15, from Ninfield, was nominated by his parents.

Ollie is a registered Young Carer for his younger ten year old brother who has complex needs. Throughout lockdown, Ollie has looked after his brother without hesitation while his parents have been at work. He has organised his breakfast, done his home schooling, cooked his lunch, taken him for walks around the village, played with him and cooked the family dinners.

He has done this without hesitation and with a smile. He is kind and patient with him and always puts his brother’s needs before his own. His parents would not have been able to go to work during lockdown if they had not had Ollie at home looking after his brother who had to shielded, so he could not go to school.

His parents said: “Throughout lockdown, Ollie has regularly cooked our evening meals, walked our dogs, hoovered and dusted the house. He never moans about doing these things. He is such a thoughtful boy – often arriving with a cup of tea when we return from work.”

Ollie has also being doing the shopping for two of their elderly neighbours. He visits them each week, gets their shopping order and delivers it.

Keisha, aged 17, lives in Sidley and was nominated by her mother. Keisha has been caring for her mother for three years since she was admitted to hospital and diagnosed with a serious liver disease and now each day is a struggle for her. Keisha sees to her mother’s needs and tries to make life as comfortable for her as she can. During the pandemic Keisha has been by her side, going to the shop every day and ensuring that she had her medication. On top of all that Keisha’s mother has had an ulcer for nearly a year and Keisha changes the dressings daily and makes sure they don’t run out of supplies. Her mother says: “Without her I really don’t know what I would do. She now wants to be a nurse due to caring for me. She’s my rock and still continues to be.”

Kira, aged 15, is from Rye and was nominated by her mother. Kira looks after her brother who has muscular dystrophy and her step father who lives with an acute pain syndrome. Kira has stepped up during Covid when her mother lost both her brother and a very close friend in a short space of time, losses she felt very badly. Kira helped with keeping the house going and giving her mother time to grieve.

Kira has also kept an eye on a family friend who suffers with mental health issues and reminded her mother to check on an elderly neighbour who is on her own. Although Kira lost an uncle and she knew her mother’s friend very well she stepped up so her mother could make arrangements and travel to funerals while she stayed home and looked after her three younger siblings.

Romano, aged 8, lives in St Leonards and was nominated by his mother. Romano has been a carer for about a year and a half caring for both his mother and his 3 year old sister. His mother has a very debilitating disease, ankylosing spondylitis, which leaves her very weak.

He helps his mother dress and getting her up the stairs as well as minding his sister. Although he doesn’t understand what the disease is he still strives to do his best even though it leaves him flustered and tired. He has not stressed about not seeing his friends but has tried to understand the situation and help his mother even more. His mother says: “He’s very protective even more so because I take biologics which weaken the immune system in return to combat my disease.”

Colin Goldsack, from Senlac Rotary, said: “Reading the nominations is very humbling; what these young people have to do is amazing. Their everyday caring ranges from helping a parent to dress, changing dressings, sibling sitting, cooking, cleaning, shopping, making sure their parent has medication available amongst a host of other jobs, all with little thought for themselves and the childhood they might otherwise have had. If you know any young person who should be nominated, contact the club as soon as possible. Full details of the award are on the website www.senlacrotary.org.”