High praise for Bamber Bridge 16-year-old who helps to care for her seriously unwell grandparents

A proud Bamber Bridge mum has praised her 16-year-old daughter who helps to care for her seriously unwell grandparents.
Mia, Lucy and ChloeO'Donovan.Mia, Lucy and ChloeO'Donovan.
Mia, Lucy and ChloeO'Donovan.

Chloe O'Donovan (16), of The Crescent, has been helping her mum to provide daily care to her grandparents over the past two to three years.

Her grandfather Timmy struggles to walk and suffers from heart failure, bad lungs and circulation, while her grandmother Anne is diabetic, in a wheelchair and has just been diagnosed with fluid on her brain.

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Her mum, Lucy, said: "I would not cope without her help and support. Chloe is a kind, funny, caring girl who very rarely goes out and is always on hand when her grandparents need her.

"I lost my nanna when I was 14, so I've always said to Chloe, 'You have to cherish your grandparents while you have them.'"

The 38-year-old added: "People have a strong view about teens being bad and making excuses for it with the bad lives they have had. I feel my daughter is a prime example of a teen who despite a difficult childhood has grown into an amazing young lady. She shows empathy, understanding, kindness, love, laughter and emotional support to many of us. I am so proud of her."

Her grandmother also suffers from confusion and memory problems and has at least a three-month wait for surgery. Chloe, who is now doing her GCSEs at Walton-le-Dale High School, regularly does her grandparents' shopping and cleaning, makes their teas and keeps them company, as well as taking her sister Mia to school.

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She said: "I like to do it because it helps them, so it's nice for me too."

Lucy is a single parent with two children, and Chloe not only lends a hand with chores but also helps to look after 12-year-old Mia, who was born with a heart defect, resulting in surgery at the age of four.

Commenting on the closeness of her family, Lucy added: "My Dad sees the girls every day. They come out of school and he is sat their waiting for them."

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