Nominations for the 2026 WellChild Awards are now closed.

Six-year-old Esmée is a bright, bubbly little girl whose joy is truly contagious. She loves Peppa Pig, splashing in water, and dancing to music – especially the old-school tunes her mum plays at home. Her face lights up around colourful lights, sensory toys, and anything that makes a cheerful sound. Wherever she goes, Esmée brings smiles with her.

Esmée was born at just 28 weeks and has faced more medical challenges in her short life than most people do in a lifetime. She spent her early months in intensive care and has had an incredible 35 surgeries, including major operations on her brain, lungs, and bowel. In late 2024, she became critically ill and needed emergency brain surgery. It was a frightening time, and for a while, Esmée lost many of the things she had worked so hard to achieve, her words, her movement and even her spark.

But Esmée is a fighter. Just weeks after surgery, she began to surprise everyone by saying new words, eating and drinking again, and even sitting up on her own. Her recovery has been nothing short of amazing. Living with multiple complex conditions, Esmée needs round-the-clock care and attends a special needs school with one-to-one support. She continues to grow, learn, and thrive in her own unique way, her strength and determination always shining through.

Nine-year-old Gwen is a happy, determined girl with a big personality and an even bigger love for football. A proud supporter of both Wigan Athletic and Brighton & Hove Albion, she’s rarely seen without one of her favourite shirts, watching a match or cheering at the stadium.

Gwen was born with spina bifida and hydrocephalus and faces daily complex medical challenges. She is a full-time wheelchair user and relies on equipment and routines to manage her health. But this doesn’t hold her back. Fiercely independent, she’s always pushing herself to try new things. At five years old, Gwen moved from a special needs school to mainstream education, quickly becoming a much-loved pupil, thanks to her kindness and great sense of humour. Gwen didn’t speak until she was four due to a tracheostomy, but she’s more than made up for it since – proudly sharing her voice to inspire others.

A passionate wheelchair racer, Gwen trains twice a week and has completed two one-mile races, including the Vitality 1 Mile, where she was the youngest competitor. She dreams of racing at Stoke Mandeville and encouraging more young wheelchair users to get into sport.

Gwen embraces every opportunity. She enjoys swimming, trips to the library and visiting Legoland. Despite a life filled with hospital visits and medical routines, nothing stops her from chasing her dreams.

Thirteen-year-old Ansel is a kind and compassionate young man with a deep love for animals and nature. He dreams of one day running his own animal sanctuary, complete with chickens, goats, and a donkey. Ansel also cares passionately about the planet. He enjoys litter picking, recycling, and finding creative ways to reuse everyday items. 

Ansel is deaf and autistic and lives with a rare disease, severe epilepsy and a tracheostomy. His seizures can last for hours and often require emergency hospital care. Despite this, he shows remarkable bravery, making mature decisions about his treatment and always focusing on living life to the fullest. 

He’s spent much of his life in hospital and is well known to the teams who care for him. Ansel is also a familiar face in fundraising campaigns, helping to support the hospital that’s been such a big part of his journey. 

A huge film fan, Ansel loves Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Jumanji, and enjoys playing games with his family. He’s incredibly thoughtful, often bringing sensory toys to other children at his hospice and choosing gifts for friends to make them feel included. Ansel’s strength, kindness, and quiet determination inspire everyone around him. 

17-year-old Declan is a determined and generous young man with a passion for football. A devoted Manchester United and England fan, he dreams of one day working in the sport he adores – perhaps through coaching, commentating, or charity work – though his main goal is to become an accountant. Declan also enjoys gaming with his brother, playing the piano, and chasing thrills on rollercoasters. 

At just six years old, Declan developed Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, a rare and life-threatening reaction to a common treatment for tonsillitis. He lost 96% of his skin, his hair and nails, and spent weeks in hospital, including time on life support. With only a 20% chance of survival, Declan defied the odds – but the illness left him with permanent sight impairment and ongoing medical challenges. 

Despite everything he’s faced, Declan has shown remarkable resilience and refuses to be defined by his condition, choosing instead to focus on progress and positivity. He’s had to relearn how to walk, read, and write, all while managing long absences from school and the emotional impact of his condition. Through it all, he’s remained focused on helping others and living life to the fullest. 

Declan has raised over £25,000 for ten charities through a football fundraiser and even climbed the O2 arena to support his brother’s dodgeball team. He’s a familiar face in his community, known for his strength, kindness and drive to help others and make a difference. 

Fourteen-year-old Alessia is a bright and creative teenager with a huge love for music. She’s a big fan of Fred Again, Fontaines D.C., Olivia Rodrigo and Inhaler, and loves going to gigs with her parents. Alessia even adapted one of her favourite songs especially for her twin sister, Sofia. She also enjoys singing, drama, and has recently taken up yoga to help manage her cerebral palsy. 

Alessia is a devoted and caring sister to Sofia, who has severe cerebral palsy and complex needs. From the very beginning, Alessia has been by her side – not just as a twin, but as a best friend and constant source of support. When Sofia started at a new school, Alessia made a video to introduce her to her classmates, helping her feel included and understood.  

From helping to settle her at night, to entertaining her on long car journeys, Alessia is always there, patient, kind, and full of love. 

Alessia has given up outings, hobbies, and even moved schools to support her sister, never once complaining. She’s the first to comfort Sofia when she’s upset and goes out of her way to find toys that will make her smile, often using her own money. 

Alessia’s empathy, strength, and quiet resilience shine through in everything she does. 

Thirteen-year-old Grace is a vibrant, funny, and emotionally mature young person who loves spending time with friends, shopping, makeup, boxercise, and weightlifting. Even through the toughest times, Grace has never lost her spark. 

In May 2024, Grace was airlifted to hospital with life-changing injuries after her school bus collided with a tractor. While surrounded by her friends, Grace was the only one left with life-altering injuries but has faced her situation with extraordinary courage and maturity. 

Grace is paralysed from the waist down, uses a wheelchair, a hoist, and faces ongoing medical challenges including postural hypotension and spinal rehabilitation. She made incredible progress during her 12 months in hospital and continuously battled so she no longer needs the ventilator and feeding tube she used to rely on. She continues to thrive at home with her family.  

Despite everything she’s been through, Grace has never asked “why me?”. She remains positive, kind, and incredibly supportive. She readily offers friendship to other children on the ward, lifts the spirits of her siblings, Charlie and Bella, and is always there for her dad, Andrew who lives with Motor Neurone Disease. 

Grace is intelligent, resilient, and full of character. She shares her journey through TikTok and Instagram, bringing joy and hope to others even on her hardest days. Grace’s courage, warmth, and determination inspire everyone around her. 

Mandy is a devoted mum to three daughters, all born prematurely and requiring specialist care and a son. Her daughter Grace has cerebral palsy and is a wheelchair user, needing ongoing support, surgeries, and access to therapies. Mandy has always been a strong advocate, ensuring her children have every opportunity to thrive. 

But Mandy’s care reaches far beyond her own family. Drawing on her personal experiences, she co-founded Daisy Chains, a charity supporting families of seriously ill children on the Isle of Wight. Whether it’s emergency ferry travel, essential hospital packs, Christmas hampers or festive parties, Mandy has helped hundreds of families through their most difficult times. Most families on the island with a child who has complex medical needs will have received support from Mandy’s charity at some point in their journey. 

Even while managing the demands of her own busy household, Mandy has raised funds to take Grace to America for life-changing surgery and continues to organise community events like Easter egg hunts and superhero days for local families. 

At a time when many services have moved to the mainland, her work has become even more vital. Whenever a family needs help, Mandy is there quietly, without fuss, and never expecting recognition. Her compassion, determination, and tireless work have made a lasting impact on her community.

Helen became a WellChild Nurse in 2017 and has been a lifeline for families ever since. Based at Leeds Children’s Hospital, she supports children with complex medical needs, offering not only expert clinical care but also unwavering compassion and dedication. 

When she’s not working, Helen enjoys traveling, spending time with friends and family, being outdoors and pottery. She loves walking and gardening and has a long list on countries she wants to visit.  

Over the past year, Helen has carried the tracheostomy service almost single-handedly during a time of unprecedented demand. No matter how long the day or how heavy the workload, she never stops until every child is safe, every family supported, and every detail taken care of. 

What makes Helen truly extraordinary is her ability to combine clinical excellence with genuine empathy. She’s there in the most overwhelming moments such as when a family is learning to care for their child’s tracheostomy for the first time. Helen patiently teaches, reassures, and empowers, often staying late and checking in long after her shift ends. 

She transforms fear into confidence for countless families. Helen is fully aligned with the WellChild vision, for every child and young person with complex medical needs to be thriving at home.  

Jackie is a Senior Health Care Support Worker in the Children’s Community Team and has been vital source of strength and support for children and young people with complex medical needs for more than 18 years. She provides care in homes, schools, and across the community, always going above and beyond to ensure every child feels safe, supported, and truly seen. 

Jackie is highly skilled and deeply compassionate. She’s always learning new ways to support families, including training in baby massage to help parents bond with their child when they haven’t been able to hold them. She takes the time to understand each child’s unique personality, which shows in the way they respond to her. 

Whether she’s creating memory-making moments or helping a child attend school during end-of-life care, Jackie brings comfort, dignity, and warmth to every family she supports. She’s also a huge help to her colleagues. She shares her knowledge and offers support whenever it’s needed. 

One family described her as a “constant presence” during a difficult time, praising her ability to anticipate their daughter’s needs and support them as parents. Jackie’s dedication, empathy, and quiet strength make her truly extraordinary. 

For more information on becoming a sponsor for the WellChild Awards 2026

please contact [email protected]

Thank you

In addition to all our sponsors, WellChild would like to give special thanks to these generous organisations that donated gifts in kind for this event.

Eurowines | Creed Foodservice | Katherine Rhodes | Captain Fantastic | Meluba | Total Merchandise | EC Awards | Wild thang | Copper & Carlyle | The Party Box | Q Park | Binky | The Entertainer | Betsy Benn | Wicked Uncle | Buckingham Flower Farm | Burgeon Floral Design | VISA | Radish the Magician |
Yoga Studio Store | Poultons Park | Legoland | Pia | Brighton & Hove Albion FC

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