Two brave youngsters have defied illness to achieve exam successes.

Brave Ben Wolfenden's determination to overcome life-threatening cystic fibrosis meant that even an intravenous drip in his arm failed to stop him scoring top GCSE grades.

The 16-year-old Bradford Grammar School pupil suffers from the disease, which affects the lungs and digestive system.

But continual bouts of ill health have not stood in his way of exam success and yesterday, Ben was awarded nine GCSEs, five of them top grades A*, three at grade A and one grade B.

The modest teenager, who lives with his family in Eldwick, said he was not expecting such high grades.

"I didn't think I would do as well because towards the end of the exams I was quite poorly and I had to have injections. I was progressively getting quite ill with chest infections."

Ben was determined to soldier on and for the last few papers he sat with a drip pumping antibiotics into the arm he was writing with.

Mum Christine said she was very proud of Ben. "He's a star. He works really hard and now he has got his reward. He was so poorly at one point a few years ago that he took about half a year off school, but he was determined to carry on and catch up."

Ben has an older and younger brother, who are both free of the congenital illness. He never saw his sister, who would now be 34, but who died of cystic fibrosis when she was 16.

Bradford Grammar School head Stephen Davidson said Ben was a hero.

"Ben is a terrific example of courage. He has shown real strength of character, he never feels sorry for himself and he always thinks of other people.

"I am really proud of him."

This autumn Ben will be continuing his studies at Bradford Grammar School, where he will be taking A-levels in Maths, Latin and German.

ANOTHER YOUNGSTER also beat a life-threatening illness to gain exam success.

Marie Thompson, 16, of Yeadon, has delighted teachers at Benton Park School, Rawdon, by overcoming leukaemia to achieve nine grade C GCSE results.

Marie said: "It's brilliant, I wasn't really expecting to get them. It's been really hard but I've had a lot of help from my friends, teachers and family to get me through it."

Marie says her friends helped her catch up with her work during the worst of her chemotherapy.

Benton Park teacher Nick Lacey said Marie's was a remarkable achievement.

"It's marvellous. She's had a horrendous time but she's kept going and we're all very proud of her."

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