Child of Courage nominee – Kieran Hankin
Child of Courage nominee – Kieran Hankin
A Staffordshire teenager has raised thousands of pounds for charity by doing physical challenges despite suffering from a number of life-limiting conditions.
Kieran Hankin, from Upper Tean, is known as K-Man to friends and family – and for good reason. Despite being diagnosed with Friedreich’s Ataxia (FA) in 2017, and later Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, Scoliosis and Pes Cavus, he is constantly looking to raise money for causes close to his heart, including the Dougie Mac, whose team nominated him.
The 14-year-old can no longer walk and relies on his electric wheelchair. He suffers from debilitating fatigue and is tired every day but keeps battling through the exhaustion.
His mum, Leeann Hankin, is immensely proud of her son, who still takes part in fundraising events and continuously goes beyond everyone’s expectations. Even at school Kieran is making tremendous progress towards his GCSEs at Cheadle Academy and often presents inspirational assemblies for peers.
Kieran was diagnosed with Friedreich’s Ataxia just before his seventh birthday. The condition is a life-changing, life-limiting, degenerative neuromuscular disease which affects his balance, co-ordination and muscle strength. He also has Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy where the muscles of his heart are abnormally thick, which makes it harder for his heart to pump blood around his body contributing to severe fatigue, whilst he was also diagnosed with Pes Cavvus, which has made his feet turn inwards and led to his loss of mobility.
Kieran has undergone major surgeries to his spine, which in his mum’s words, “Have made Kieran dig so deep, both physically and mentally. Yet after his last bout of major surgery he was back in school within a month. He really is not just hugely brave – he’s also an inspiration to me and others.”
Kieran has taken on numerous physical challenges in the past five years and has raised funds for the likes of The Dougie Mac Hospice, Make A Wish, Ataxia UK, Children In Need and Macmillan Cancer Support. The challenges have seen Kieran take to the trike and the water to push himself to the very limit.
It’s in the swimming pool where Leeann says Kieran finds real freedom and in his last challenge in July, he was due to swim one to two kilometres for the Dougie Mac’s Big Swim event but smashed that and completed nine kilometres over 10 sessions, raising more than £3,500 for charity.
Kieran started attending the Dougie Mac’s Children’s Services in 2019 and it has had a huge effect on his and his mum’s lives. Leeann says she initially felt “a little dubious and quite anxious” about it, but has seen first-hand “the love, warmth and care emanating from every person inside.”
Covid and lockdown were soon to hit the UK, and although Leeann and Kieran couldn’t visit the hospice, they continued to receive care and support through virtual channels. The support and care from The Dougie Mac didn’t just benefit Kieran.
Leeann said: “I’ve also received fantastic support, too. The whole staff have been amazing invaluable sources of support and information. There is so much warmth about the place – we are so lucky in Staffordshire to have this amazing charity on our doorsteps. I can’t tell you how much they have done for us.
“We have gone through so much and recently through multiple challenging surgeries for Kieran who will continue to face challenge after challenge. But he is an unbelievable boy.
“Kieran has raised thousands for charity, and we are hoping that he can get a new trike that matches his needs soon, so he can continue to give.”
Kieran Hankin has been nominated in the Child of Courage category of the Your Heroes Awards.