A little girl who has battled with poor health all her life has been told her bravery is a shining example to everyone.

Laurel Brook, 11, was born with a genetic disorder which has already led her to have a stroke, a kidney transplant and a cancerous tumour.

The courage she has shown throughout her life has now been commended by the National Kidney Research Fund.

Didcot Girls School pupil Laurel was born with nephrotic syndrome, which left her dysfunctional kidneys flushing out vital proteins with other waste products, instead of re-routing them back into her body.

The rare condition causes sufferers to swell up if left untreated, and Laurel was diagnosed at 14 months old after getting a swollen eye.

Her mother, Michelle, 35, said: "It took four to five weeks for doctors to work out what was wrong. She spent three months in hospital having treatment but everything failed, so the doctors decided to take out one of her kidneys to see if that helped, but it didn't and she had to have the other one removed too.

"She had to have nightly dialysis for eight months while we waited for a kidney donor. That was pretty stressful because one night she had a stroke, which has left her partially blind, with a weak arm, a splint on her leg and epilepsy."

Although Laurel's kidney transplant was a success, this year she developed a mouth tumour -- a rare side effect of the donation -- and endured six bouts of chemotherapy to stamp out the disease.

The family, of Rose Avenue, Abingdon, are still waiting to hear if the treatment has been successful.

Her bravery and determination have now been applauded during the National Kidney Research Fund Young Hero Awards, which celebrates the achievements of young people with renal conditions or those who look after relatives with kidney disease.