A 12-YEAR-OLD girl who saved the life of her seriously-ill mother has been nominated for an award for the second year running.

Sophie Walker was put forward for the Community Champions awards 2009 after caring for her mother, Clancy, who suffers from Huntington's disease.

One year on, the schoolgirl has been nominated again – this time for getting medical help when Clancy suffered a life-threatening stroke.

The youngster phoned 999 and alerted neighbours after her 39-year-old mum collapsed at their home in Addison Road, Derby. Sophie then called her father, Mark, 38.

Her dad, who arrived at the same time as the paramedics, said he could not believe how calm his daughter had been.

He said: "You would have thought she would have rung me saying, 'Dad, what do I do?'

"But, actually, I was just about the last person to know.

"She sorted her mum out, calm as you like, and got all the help that was needed – she saved her mum's life and she was brilliant."

Sophie said: "My mum suddenly started shaking and fell on the floor. At first I didn't know what to do. I just knew I had to save my mum from dying.

"I just thought to ring 999, [staff] told me to find someone to help, so I did."

Since she was a little girl, Sophie has helped her father to care for Clancy by cooking, cleaning and helping her to wash and dress.

Clancy is in the final stages of Huntington's disease – an incurable hereditary disorder of the central nervous system – and has to spend most of her time in a wheelchair.

Sophie, a pupil at Derby Moor Community Sports College, had managed to balance her work at home, her schoolwork and her hobbies, including dancing, football, cheerleading and boxing, with helping to look after her mum.

But she said that, since her nomination last year, she has had to give up a lot of activities. Sophie said: "I've quit a lot of them to spend more time looking after my mum, because she's got a lot worse over the past year. I'm disappointed because I enjoyed doing them – but Mum's more important."

Sophie and Mark will be taking on new responsibilities towards the end of January, when Clancy has a feeding tube fitted.

The operation, at the Royal Derby Hospital, will allow her to both eat and get nutrition from the tube, and her husband and daughter will be given training on how to use it.

Mark said: "It's going to mean a lot more hard work for both of us but we stick through it together as a family and I know I can rely on Sophie."

Sophie said: "I'm happy to be nominated and I'm really happy that I've been nominated twice.

"It's shocking and I'm speechless really because, when I think of something, I just do it and don't waste time and it's strange to be rewarded for that."

Sophie was nominated for the award by Clancy, who said: "My daughter is 12 and she cooks, showers and helps me do things that I can no longer do.

"She has also saved my life."

The Derby Telegraph has teamed up with BBC Radio Derby, Derbyshire Building Society, Derby City Council and Derby County Football Club to launch the Community Champions awards.

The nomination form is printed below. It can also be found on www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/champions or www.bbc.co.uk/derby and collected from BBC Radio Derby, in St Helen's Street, Derby, and from Derbyshire Building Society branches. It should be sent to Caroline Jones, Community Champions, Derby Evening Telegraph, Northcliffe House, Meadow Road, Derby, DE1 2BH by Friday, April 2.