Secondary School Pupil of the Year sponsored by Thor
This award would be going to a young person who has achieved something beyond expectation in education during a challenging 12 months. They may not necessarily be the highest academic achiever but we wanted to hear about students who have developed themselves personally, through sheer determination to do better, or helped others in the community during the pandemic.
Winner: Eva-Rose Estcourt
THIRTEEN-year-old Eva-Rose Estcourt is a true inspiration and a worthy winner of our Secondary School Pupil of the Year Award.
Three years ago she was hospitalised with a blood clot on her spine which caused a spinal stroke.
She was given a diagnosis of AVM (arteriovenous malformation) and spastic paraplegia from the waist down causing damage to her bowel and bladder and she is now wheelchair-reliant.
The youngster was given a five per cent chance of walking again and went months without leaving the house, feeling like the world was closing in and she found it difficult to be accepted.
Three years on and she is working every day to defy the odds and, despite spending much of her time in a wheelchair the teenager refuses to sit still.
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She has regular physio and has taken to equine therapy, recently achieving first place in her dressage test.
Eva-Rose Estcourt was presented with the Secondary School Pupil of the Year Award by the Northwich and Winsford Guardian's Heidi Summerfield
Eva-Rose’s sister Eleanor said: “Eva-Rose is so determined and hardworking and she continues to show everyone what can be achieved with a disability.
“She deserves this award after everything she has been through and is testament to how hard she works every day on herself, her education and learning new skills.
“She educates herself daily on school subjects and creates her own projects, documenting them in files.
“She strives to become confident and has taken part in residentials to benefit her physically and mentally and she is now able to share her story and raise awareness for people affected by bowel and bladder conditions.”
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Eleanor added: “She is such a determined person, who doesn’t let anything get in her way.
“Although her education hasn’t suited her needs, she has adapted to the situation and understands what she’s capable of.
“She fully deserves this award – she has never given up and grown stronger each day, becoming a role model and inspiration for others.
“She is a true of example of achieving something regardless of your ability.”
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