Gracie Hughes is a little girl who has beaten all odds to win a national competition for her remarkable courage.

The six-year-old from Hoo was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition and it was feared she would never walk or speak unaided.

But Gracie has touched the hearts of everyone she meets - including the judges who crowned her with the Little Champion Award for the baby charity, Tommy's.

And her true grit and determination was shown when she stepped on to walked on to a stage at a London hotel ceremony to collect her prize.

After being born premature, she spent her first four weeks in the special care baby unit at Medway Maritime Hospital.

Then when she was aged one she was diagnosed with an extremely rare genetic condition which leads to numerous challenges, including epilepsy, chronic fatigue and sleep apnea, difficulty in swallowing and bowel problems.

Mum Hannah, 33, who nominated her daughter, said: “Gracie wasn’t hitting milestones which we put down to her being premature, but I had a feeling something wasn’t right.

“We were told it was highly unlikely Gracie would talk, but again she proved everyone wrong and has limited speech and doing amazingly.”

Gracie was the inspiration for Hannah and husband Paul, 33 setting up the charity More Than Words to support other parents and carers who are unable to communicate with their children.

The couple train others on how to use Makaton, a form of sign language, at Hoo Library and the Hundred of Hoo School, free of charge.

Paul, a police officer, said: “She is the most sociable and kind-hearted girl I know.

“She still faces daily challenges, but this doesn’t stop her.”

Gracie, who goes to Abbey Court Special School in Strood, has recently taken part in a 5k race pushed along by her dad in her running buggy.

At the last 100m she got out and ran with Paul to the finishing line.

The Tommy Awards, now in its 23rd year, recognises heroes of families who have been affected by pregnancy complications or the loss of a baby.

Gracie is one of only a handful of people in the UK to have a condition called bulbar palsy.

To find out more about More Than Words, visit their website at www.morethanwordscharity.com or call 07983942622.