The Ward and Partners Children’s Awards, in their 12th year, recognise the achievements of children, their families and the charities that support them. Caitlin Rose-Faber, seven, was a winner in the triumph over adversity category last year. Mary Louis caught up with her one year on.

Doctors predicted baby Caitlin would be born severely disabled and would never walk or talk.

They were so concerned they offered mum-to-be Olivia Rose-Faber a termination. She was 36 weeks pregnant.

Despite the overwhelming anxiety, Olivia and husband Gary decided to give their daughter the best chance.

Gary, 30, who is training as a physiotherapist, said: “We always said, no matter what, we would do the best for her. It was a definitive moment.”

Today Caitlin is a triumph of her parents’ hope and love and her own bravery.

At home in Quinnell Street, Rainham, she is bonny, lively, chatty and sociable – despite the daunting health challenges she has tackled head-on.

Meeting her as she approaches her seventh birthday, you would never know. The little girl’s triumph over adversity is why she was awarded a Ward and Partners 2013 Children’s Award.

Back in 2007 and 32 weeks pregnant, a routine scan for Olivia picked up ‘a discrepancy’, a dark shadow in the two left ventricles of Caitlin’s brain.

An MRI scan a week later showed Caitlin had suffered a stroke. Bleeding had caused considerable brain damage and Olivia was offered an abortion.

Mobile hairdresser Olivia, 25, said: “Being a mum is challenging whether your child is with or without problems.

“I was 18 and felt I was young enough to cope, and my view was that I had never been a mum so had never known what was or wasn’t normal.”

Caitlin’s birth was to be in the Oliver Fisher neonatal intensive care unit at Medway hospital in the presence of “a million and one” medical observers.

Amazingly, a scan just days beforehand showed the blood and clots in her brain had broken down.

She was born normally and went straight with Olivia to the normal postnatal suite and was allowed home soon after.

Caitlin’s stroke affected the right side of her body and her mum took her to baby massage and yoga to ease her movement.

At baby massage a ‘shuddering’ of her eyes was spotted. Caitlin would go stiff.

She was diagnosed with epileptic seizures and put on medication, but the seizures got worse.

At three, she was registered partially sighted and then diagnosed with global development delay.

Her fits were getting stronger, with sometimes up to four an hour and Caitlin struggled with her speech and right hand and arm movements.

A neurologist said that as she got older and if the pattern continued, a seizure could kill her.

So, in November 2012, Caitlin underwent nearly six hours of surgery at King’s College Hospital to disconnect the left side of her brain.

Her recovery was remarkable. The day after the operation she could not move her head and was crying with pain.

A day later she was up and walking to the playroom.

Caitlin, who attends Danecourt School, Gilllingham, has since made remarkable progress. The fits have stopped and there have been great improvements to her speech.

She dotes on her brother Finlay, two, and has loved spending her Ward’s prize money on Peppa Pig and Disney treats, an iPad, toys and a visit to CBeebies Land at Alton Towers.

Gary said: “Caitlin has real inner strength, she is impulsive, sociable, happy-go-lucky, she is amazing.”

For more information on the categories in this year's awards and to make a nomination, clickhere.