Ashleigh’s selfless love for her sister is recognised

North Leamington School pupil Ashleigh Hunter spends almost all of her out-of-school hours looking after her 13-year-old sister Holly Lewis, who has severe learning difficulties, cannot communicate and has a rare form of epilepsy that only manifests itself when she is sleeping.

The 17-year-old, who lives in Cubbington with Holly, brother Tom and their mum Christine, was selected by the Warwickshire Young Carers’ Project to win the Outstanding Contribution Award in the project’s Young Heroes awards, held at North Leamington School last week.

Also awarded on the night were George Oxley from Leamington, Jakob Mucklow from Warwick and Alix Randle from Kenilworth.

But for Ashleigh, who also received a First Aid certificate at the ceremony and has been nominated for the Leamington Brakes Trust Citizen of the Year award, caring for Holly - whose condition has after 12 years finally been diagnosed as peri ventricular nodular hetrotopia - is a pleasure.

She said: “I have been a young carer since I was eight or nine. Holly needs help with most things - it’s like caring for a baby - but she has now learnt to walk and can sometimes eat and drink herself.

“It’s a full-time job which I have to do alongside studying for my A-levels. Whenever I am at school or elsewhere, I am thinking about Holly and wondering if she is OK.

“But I enjoy looking after and helping Holly. It’s part of my life.

“She is so close to me that sometimes she will get into my bed and go to sleep with me. We have that kind of relationship.”

While Ashleigh, who is taking A-levels in sociology, photography, health and social care, is in classes, Holly attends Round Oak School, and sometimes Ashleigh stays late at school to give her a chance to get her homework done.

A family friend often takes Holly out during the weekend and she goes into respite care once a month so that the teenager can occasionally have a social life.

But for the most part, Ashleigh’s life revolves around her sister’s. She said: “I will eventually leave home, but I will take Holly with me.

“I would like to work as a youth leader for young carers, to work with children who have disabilities or in events management as that would enable me to make people happy.”

The Young Carers’ Project supports more than 800 young people across Warwickshire by providing them with activities, one-to-one emotional support and skills workshops, but the organisation says there are many more ‘hidden’ young carers who aren’t aware of their role or the support available.

Ashleigh said: “Young Carers is really good. I would definitely recommend it to anyone. They are not just there for activities and holidays - you can call them when you need support, and you know that everybody there is in the same boat as you.”

To find out more about the project, call 485486 or visit www. warwickshireyoungcarers.org.uk