A child who needed neurosurgery has given the money she won in a competition to the hospital that treated her.

Sophie Châu, 12, handed her first prize £250 to King's Hospital after it operated on her nearly three years ago and continues to monitor her progress.

Sophie, of Dover Grammar School for Girls, travelled to the London hospital for the presentation and met her consultant neurologist Dr David McCormick and Nikki Twallin, its senior community fundraiser.

The money will be spent within paediatric neurology to help children who have suffered the same loss of mobility and difficulties moving limbs that Sophie had.

That condition usually happens after after brain illness or injury.

Sophie originally had meningitis and had to be transferred as an emergency from the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford to King's when complications occurred.

This happened in December 2019 and she was nine years old at the time.

A school spokesman said: "Sophie was hugely fortunate to regain her mobility down her left side after her therapy.

"But many children struggle for far longer or are unable to regain their full range of mobility or lose strength."

Sophie had in March this year come first in a writing competition organised by the Rotary Club of Canterbury called Dear Future Self.

Entrants were asked to write letters to themselves to be read in 25 years' time.

Sophie discussed her planned future career in science and wrote: "Grab any opportunity with both hands. Do this for the girls who have fought just as hard as you but still do not have the same chances."

Sohpie was one of two pupils from her school to win a prize in that contest.

Jessica Ridall, 12, came third for her letter discussing climate change and her wish to become a marine biologist.