Brave Child Award

Two-year-old Izzabel Wickenden, of St George's Road, has leukaemia and is currently undergoing intense chemotherapy.

Adam Streather and Luke Fuller, who present a show every Saturday night on Hospital Radio at the Conquest, nominated the brave toddler for the award.

Adam said: "It was a tough decision as competition was very fierce.

"But we finally came to the decision that two-year-old Izzabel should be the winner.

"She has a serious illness and has to have lots of blood tests and treatments."

Izzabel's mum, Sarah, who works at Boots in Bexhill, said her daughter was diagnosed with leukaemia last July.

She said: "We thought she had 'flu one Saturday last July.

"She went to the doctor's the following Wednesday. The GP took one look at her and got her rushed to the Conquest by the Friday.

"Izzabel was very lethargic and pale. She had stopped walking.

"We panicked when we were told she had leukaemia as we did not know what to do. We did not know much about the disease.

"Izzabel is doing OK now but she is under very intense chemotherapy. The whole treatment is going to take three years.

"There is also a high risk that the leukaemia could return."

The toddler, who has a six-year-old sister called Katrina and eight-year-old brother called Jonathan, has weekly blood tests at the Conquest and travels to Great Ormond Street Hospital in London every fortnight.

Izzabel has no immune system because of her chemotherapy.

Mrs Wickenden, 32, said: "My other two children can't have their friends around as much as they want to because Izzabel has no immunity.

"If someone has a cold they can't come near her."

She thanked the nurses from the Children's Home Care Community Team at Kipling Ward at the Conquest, and all those who have donated money to the team.

The Brave Child Award is a competition devised by Adam and Luke.

A family member, a nurse or a friend of the family can nominate any patient on the ward.

Pictured: Little Izzabel with parents Ian and Sarah, Jonathan and Katrina with DJs Adam and Luke. H21036.