A TEENAGE carer who has spent almost half her life looking after her mum has hit her fundraising target, which will allow her to join a prestigious football academy.

Sophie Harris, 16, from North Leigh, has raised over £3,500 and will leave on Friday to join the Arsenal Women Youth Academy.

Her mum, Hannah Harris, said: “We reached the target last week, just after it had died down and plateaued.

“We were starting to wonder what we were going to do as it’s such a massive opportunity.”

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However, Miss Harris said that following a flurry of donations, the money was raised and she was grateful to everyone who had supported her daughter.

“The coaches have said the aim is to get her into the England set-up in the next two years and that they’re excited to work with her,” she added.

“For me, it’s a mixture of immense pride but also that she’s my first born child so I’ll miss her like crazy.

“She’s worked so hard and had rejections but she’s not let that stop her, and I’m excited to see what will happen.”

Miss Harris has battled hypersensitivity pneumonitis and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) for the last seven years.