A six-year-old boy who was left unable to walk or talk after suffering a stroke has been nominated for an award for his courage.

Little Jacob Jackson was struck down by a mystery stroke two weeks before his third birthday.

It left him paralysed down his right side, unconscious and unable to speak for several days.

And his family were dealt another blow two years later when an MRI scan revealed that Jacob's brain had several blood clots and was deteriorating because of a disease.

Now his parents, Liz and Garry, of Cornmill Drive, Liversedge, have decided to nominate their son for an award because of the bravery he has shown in the face of his illness.

Liz said: "If anyone deserves to win it then he does. He has been just amazing; he has had to cope with everything. After his stroke he couldn't walk or talk.

"He still does not have any control of his right hand side and his hand is always tightly clenched like a fist."

Jacob now walks with the help of a leg brace, which he chose himself, and has an arm in his sling. He can now talk and be understood and is even able to write his name with his left hand.

He is taught alongside other youngsters at Norristhorpe Junior and Infant School in Liversedge where he has his own special needs teacher.

Liz said the support of his teachers and classmates helped him to enjoy a normal life. She said: "The school are brilliant with him. He has a lot of friends and they are great with him and help him with his coat and things like that. But does still get frustrated because of the things he cannot do."

The Life After Stroke awards are organised by the Stroke Association for people who rebuild their lives after a stroke.

The event includes a Young Person's Courage Award, for which Jacob is in the running. The winners will attend a ceremony in London in April.

Liz said witnessing Jacob's stroke was the most terrifying thing she had ever seen. "He just curled up in a little ball and one side of his body was just loose and his mouth had dropped down," she said.

"When we got him back from the hospital he was like a different boy. He had always been a mummy's boy but after the stroke he didn't want to know me and would go to his dad. That was very hard for me to cope with but I had it explained to me that is how strokes can affect people because of the trauma to the brain.

"Now he loves me to bits and he is back to being a mummy's boy. We are so proud of him he just copes with everything that life throws at him."