Certainly not an average Joe

2:20pm Monday 21st July 2008

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A BRAVE youngster who lives life to the full despite having a serious health condition has been nominated for a Community Pride award.

Ten-year old Joseph Hadden is energetic and loves outdoor activities, such as football and rock climbing.

But the youngster also suffers from Type I Diabetes and twice in the past year his condition has left him on the brink of death. He has suffered from the condition since he was six years old and has had to get used to the daily injections and getting ill regularly.

Despite his health problems, Joseph, of Tang Hall, in York, battles on with a smile on his face, said his mum, Della, a teaching assistant at Derwent Infants School, in York.

Della has nominated the youngster for the Child Of The Year Category in The Press’s Community Pride Awards.

“He has battled with diabetes for four years,” she said. “He has had a tough life, but he is incredibly brave and is always battling on with a smile on his face.”

Della described the times she thought she had lost her son. “Twice in the past year his condition has left him on the brink of death,” she said. “ “Both times I carried him into York hospital like a rag doll – he was unconscious and we thought we had lost him.

“He was taken straight to the high-dependency room, but it’s not properly equipped and they had to get all the machines from different parts of the hospital, which was scary.

“Both times, like every time he is feeling poorly, Joseph tried to make me laugh.

“He is a fighter and that is why I think he should be nominated for Child Of The Year.”

The deadline for nominees for The Press’s Community Pride Awards is just around the corner.

If you know of someone who has made an outstanding contribution to the community, we would love to hear about them.

All entries must be in by Wednesday.

To nominate someone, simply fill in the entry form via the related link.

Send in a non-returnable picture of your nominee along with a supporting statement setting out why your nominee deserves an award.

Send nominations to Community Pride Awards, Paula Homer, The Press, 76-86 Walmgate, York, YO1 9YN. Alternatively, you can email us at editor@thepress.co.uk