Brave children honoured

The annual awards recognise outstanding courage

A four-year-old girl with a rare condition that makes her body age eight times faster than normal is being honoured for her bravery.

Hayley Okines, of east Sussex, is among a group of youngsters receiving awards for their outstanding courage at a ceremony in London on Wednesday.

Our judges found it as difficult as ever to choose between the hundreds of amazing children

Elsa McAlonan
Woman's Own editor

Prince Charles and a host of celebrities are gathering at Westminster Abbey to pay tribute to the brave children.

A 12-year-old boy who died saving the life of his older brother is being honoured posthumously.

Christopher Vince was crushed by a falling tree in high winds in Norfolk in October after he pushed his 16-year-old brother Ben to safety.

At the inquest into his death, Norwich coroner William Armstrong praised him saying the boy's "first thoughts were for his brother, not himself".

Canal rescue

A 12-year-old girl who rescued a drowning toddler is also among those children whose bravery is also being recognised.

Karla Inglis, of Newbury, Berkshire, acted after a toddler slid into a canal in a pushchair.

The youngsters met Prime Minister Tony Blair at Downing Street ahead of the 29th annual Woman's Own Children of Courage Awards ceremony.

Elsa McAlonan, editor of the magazine Woman's Own, said: "Our judges found it as difficult as ever to choose between the hundreds of amazing children nominated for their heroism in the face of danger, illness and adversity."

The 10 winners were selected by the magazine panel.

Among the celebrities due to attend the awards ceremony were Celebrity Big Brother winner Mark Owen, glamour model Jordan, former EastEnders actor Ross Kemp and Ryder Cup golfing hero Colin Montgomerie.

The other winners are:

Khaleeq Khan, 14, Woking, Surrey, who rescued two children from a fire.

Colin Antik, 10, Mortimer, Berks, who suffers from Stickler's Syndrome - a rare degenerative condition that affects his sight, hearing and joints.

Bradley-James Prescott, 9, Fareham, Hants, who dragged himself across the room to phone for help for his mother Sarah who had suffered an epileptic fit.

He was in plaster from his feet to his chest after an operation to deal with a crippling bone condition.

Rosy Simkiss, 11, from Birmingham, who saved her sister's life after she fell on a metal spike.

Ben Clinton, 6, from Newcastle upon Tyne, who had part of his skull removed to deal with agonising headaches he suffered caused by a build-up of fluid in his brain.

Megan Reynolds, 7, from Belfast, who was born with hydrocephalus and spina bifida and has undergone eight major operations. Her mum Mairead said her daughter is always the first to offer to help to someone else who is in pain.

Marino Giorghetti, 15, from the Isle of Cumbrae, who saved his teacher's life by singing to him to keep him awake after he was injured in a coach crash in Barcelona.