Blaire's Story

Imagine having to undergo a general anaesthetic every week for the five months before your GCSEs. Or what it would be like, as a keen sailor, to lose the use of your arms and the ability to sit up.

That's what happened to Blaire Hannan over the four years since she was first diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder, and she not only did well in her exams but also attended a university taster course, carried on sailing as long as she could in a specially-adapted boat, learned to paint by mouth and how to operate a computer with her voice. She also became an anti-bullying mentor to help Year 7 pupils.

Blaire is now a resident in hospital and is confined to a wheelchair and her bed. But her spirit is undimmed and, as she says, "I am determined that although this illness has changed my life, it will not ruin it." When she had a bad time recently, her nurse said: "Go on you can do it - they didn't give you the Diana Award for nothing!"

Blaire is, quite simply, an inspiration.