A BRAVE little girl who was born at 23 weeks and weighed just 1lb 3oz has won a national Champion Children award from baby charity Tommy’s.

Ellen Dixon was desperately poorly when she was born and had serious complications.

She spent the first five months of her life being cared for at the University College Hospital in London and her parents Sarah and Mark Dixon were unable to hold her for five weeks.

Ellen spent the next two years of life in and out of hospital and has had life-saving surgery for a congenital heart disorder and a collapsed lung after she contracted pneumonia.

But now, Ellen is a healthy happy seven-year-old who is determined not to let anything stand in her way.

The youngster, a pupil at Church Road Primary School in Smithills, was nominated for the award by her proud mum, who said she just wanted Ellen to know she was a champion. Mrs Dixon, a student social worker aged 36, said: “Ellen is my champion child and she always will be. I just wanted her to know that she is my inspiration, I didn’t think she would win.”

Celebrity presenters and parents David and Carrie Grant presented the Tommy’s and Build-a-Bear Workshop Champion Children Award to Ellen at a star-studded awards ceremony, on March 22.

Ellen has recently been diagnosed with dyspraxia, which affects her balance and coordination, and is working hard to overcome this by practising horse-riding and her writing.

She has been bullied at school but Mrs Dixon described Ellen as a “very happy girl who is always smiling”.

Mrs Dixon, of Stanley Road in Heaton, added: “Ellen has said that she has made up her mind that she is not going to let anything stop her. She said winning the award felt like she had won the Olympics.”