AN ILKLEY schoolgirl has been shortlisted for a Yorkshire Child of Courage award for helping her mother after she suffered a traumatic brain injury and for caring for children with complex disabilities.

Rosey Naylor, aged 13 and a pupil at Ilkley Grammar School is shortlisted in the 13 to 18 Young Carer Category in the awards which recognise the region's bravest and most courageous children and young adults.

She will attend a ceremony at the Royal Armouries in Leeds tomorrow accompanied by 27 family and friends, including her mum Michelle.

Rosey was just ten when her mother went out one day to work as normal but came back unrecognisable after falling out of her car and banging her head in an accident caused by bad weather conditions.

It was Rosey who found her mother vomiting and with a nose bleed and raised the alarm before accompanying her to A&E. Michelle had suffered a brain injury.

Michelle ran a successful school club and eco-cleaning business before her accident, but is now unable to work or drive and the family has had to move several times, from Silsden to Addingham and then to Ilkley.

Rosey has also suffered health problems of her own, but still finds time to care for her family and other children.

Michelle said: "Her life changed in an instant, her mum had gone but Rosey was amazing and since then she has had to deal with so much.

"I have been in and out hospital ever since. I have developed epilepsy which has been so severe I have ended up in HDU. Many times she has come home from school to find the ambulance there trying to stabilise me to get me to hospital. She could have lost me so many times yet she always stays cool and focuses on helping her dad look after her sister and helping with the house.

"When I get tired I slur and drag my leg often before a seizure. Rosey often recognises this gets me to safety and makes sure I have pillows and makes the necessary calls while I am having a terrible, often very shocking seizure."

As well as helping her mum, Rosey is also very patient with her younger sister, Hannah who has high functioning autism, and is heavily involved with the charity LS29.

From the age of 12 Rosey has looked after many children with complex disabilities.

"She is amazing, so many families ask her to help them, she gives up so much of her time," said Michelle who praised the support the family had received thanked everyone who nominated her daughter for the award.

"We have hardly any family up here and none to help," she said.

"We have gotten by with the help of our amazing friends, the hub at IGS, the wonderful teachers at Addingham primary school who nurtured helped and treated our family so kindly and our LS29 extended family whom bring joy to our lives every day."

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