Caleb Bennett
He’s just seven years old but Caleb Bennett is the main carer for his mum, who has a number of long-term health conditions.
The Fenton schoolboy accompanies her to medical appointments, does chores around the house, prepares meals, looks after their pets and reminds his mum to take her medication.
Last week, when mum Elizabeth Bennett was having a difficult day, he knew exactly how to help.
She said: “I had a very bad day where I could barely get out of bed. He came up, put a bucket next to the bed, brought me a drink, let the dog out and back in again, made his own breakfast and then came back upstairs every half hour to check on me.
“I couldn’t ask for better. At his age he really shouldn’t be looking after his mum. I couldn’t manage without him. He’s such an amazing little boy. He’s been a God’s send.”
Elizabeth’s aunt and uncle, Matthew and Debbie, help out including driving Elizabeth and Caleb to appointments, but Caleb is his mum’s day-to-day support, both practically and emotionally.
She said: “He comes to all of my medical appointments so he understands exactly what’s going on. It can be scary for him to hear things but there are also things that he needs to know just in case.”
Elizabeth’s complex health needs include heart failure, arthritis, circulatory disease, fibromyalgia and an autoimmune condition.
Caleb has been nominated in the Child of Courage category of the Your Heroes Awards by Jess Graham of North Staffs Carers.
She said: “Caleb undertakes a caring role which is beyond what would typically be expected for his age. A caring role such as this of course takes its toll on anyone, especially a young person.
“Caleb can worry when he is away from his mum but he has been really brave in joining the young carers service and as a result he has made lots of new friends and gained some much deserved respite.
“As soon as you meet Caleb it is clear what a kind, thoughtful and conscientious boy he is. He has been a part of my young carers service for a few months now and I feel as though we have quickly built up a lovely rapport.
“I recently took Caleb on a trip with some other young carers to Peak Wildlife Park and he was taking lots of photos to send to his mum. He also brought a big bag of sweets which he offered around to the whole group. That sums up how kind and friendly he is. He is a superstar.”
Elizabeth added: “It was a surprise to hear that Caleb has been nominated for a Your Heroes Award. I didn’t realise he’d made such an impression. He really is a good boy, at school and at home.”
She said that Caleb is interested in religion, nature and the solar system and enjoys collecting crystals and finding out about the healing side of nature.
Freddie-Jack and Melody
Melody Brown was back at school just a few months after being diagnosed with stage three cancer and having her voicebox removed.
The 10-year-old and her brother Freddie-Jack, also aged 10, have developed their own sign language to communicate.
Devoted Freddie-Jack has been fundraising for Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Ronald McDonald House including raising around £2,500 by running the Potters ‘arf Marathon despite being born with a medical condition which led doctors to believe he might never walk.
They live in Smallthorne with parents Shannon and James and older brother Taylor, aged 14.
The family were invited to switch on the Christmas lights in Birmingham, collected Christmas presents for children who would be in hospital over the Christmas period and Freddie-Jack organised a bake sale to raise money.
The children have also had to deal with the loss of a baby brother who was born sleeping last year.
Melody and Freddie-Jack have been nominated in the Child of Courage category of the Your Heroes Awards by their very proud mum, Shannon.
She said: “I am 10,000% proud of them. We have never been happier with them.”
Melody was believed to have tonsilitis in 2024 because she was struggling to swallow. By the Monday of the following week she was in intensive care, the following day she was transferred to Birmingham Children’s Hospital and on the Thursday she was diagnosed with stage three cancer.
Freddie-Jack and Melody are usually inseparable so Shannon says he found it hard to be away from her while she was in intensive care in a different city.
“He was aged eight at the time and he and Taylor were staying with my mum. He couldn’t understand why he was being kept away from her. It was just horrible.
“Entirely off his own back he decided to organise a bake sale because he wanted to raise money for the Douglas Macmillan Hospice and Ronald McDonald House. He and my mum ended up doing it together.
“We had quite a few people wanting to support us. Freddie-Jack decided to join in and do the Potters ‘arf. We said we didn’t think he’d be able to manage it and he said ‘watch me’. He raised around £2,500 and every last penny went to charity.
“There’s just no fear in him. Nothing phases him. Melody can’t speak now and he spends every moment he can with her. All she wanted all the way through was him.
“They’ve developed their own form of sign language that they use to communicate with each other. Now Melody is back at school they’ve been put into the same class as they know what one another wants.”
She added: “They have been through more than most 10-year-olds.”