A Bradford schoolboy whose friend has been a tower of strength as he battles a life-limiting illness has paid tribute to his friend.

Reece Walker-Sharp, aged 13, needed a double lung transplant five years ago but the organs became infected, a condition called obliterative bronchiolitis – an inflammatory response to the procedure – to which there is no cure.

Emotions ran high at Bradford Council’s Young Citizens Awards ceremony at St George’s Hall on Wednesday night when the scheduled prize-giving was interrupted to honour Reece’s best friend, Kieran Staunton, 12.

The pair have been inseparable since going to nursery school together. They went to Lower Fields Primary School and now attend Bradford Academy.

Kieran spends a lot of his time with Reece, from pushing his wheelchair to sleeping over with him on visits to Martin House hospice, in Boston Spa, near Wetherby.

On Wednesday, Kieran was invited on stage where he was afforded glowing praise from TV news presenter Christa Ackroyd.

Reece’s mother Donna Walker, 29, said: “Kieran is a credit to his mum and the best friend Reece could have.”

Afterwards, Reece, of Dudley Hill, said: “He deserves it. He pushes me around a lot and he looks after me at home and at school.”

Kieran said: “He’s my best friend. I know he’s ill. He needs all the help he can get.”

Recently, Kieran negotiated Reece around Windermere all day in his wheelchair. Brian Walker, 52, Reece’s grandfather, said: “Kieran’s been fantastic, a real tower of strength to Reece. When he comes to see him and play they’ve never had a cross word.”

Initially, Reece amazed doctors for making a rapid recovery from his lung transplant in January 2005. The operation was carried out to help him fight primary pulmonary hypertension, which caused his blood vessels to become too small to let blood flow properly to his heart.

In 2001, he was fitted with a revolutionary rucksack which pumped vital medication into his bloodstream every three minutes. Doctors used the pioneering device to increase medication to help open up his arteries. Since contracting the infection, Reece has declined to go on a waiting list for a second double lung transplant.