TEACHERS have praised the courage of an Abingdon teenager, who battled against the odds to get a string of A*s and As despite her father’s death from a brain tumour.

John Mason School pupil Helen Tartaglia, of Baker Road, Abingdon, lost dad Richard last September as she prepared for her exams.

The 16-year-old said: “My dad was not very well during Year Ten so working through that was very hard.

“But I have had a lot of support through home and a lot from school as well.

“You just have to stay motivated and you have to stay strong and part of staying strong was working.

“I have always been hard working but I think it motivated me more.”

She added: “I realised that life is only short and you need to get the best out of it.”

Yesterday she collected three A*s, five As and one B at the Wootton Road school.

Deputy head Sarah Brinkley said: “I am hugely proud of what she has achieved.

“Throughout the whole time since her father has been ill she has had such courage.

“She is a really good example of young people today who don’t use misfortune as a reason to give up but use it to fire themselves up to try even harder.”

She added: “She has always had a smile on her face and is always striving to achieve her best.”

School mate Adam Biggs, of Alexander Close, took his exams while his seriously ill younger brother Luke was in and out of Birmingham Children’s Hospital after his second bowel transplant.

Despite the disruption, Adam got four As, two Bs, and two Cs.

He even picked up full marks in a geography exam that was taken the day after Luke had been in hospital in June.

The 16-year-old said: “Because they spent a lot of time with Luke I did not get a lot of time with my parents so when I did I cherished it. Now he is back and improving.”

Luke, 14, who has suffered from Hirschsprung’s disease since birth, is to begin working towards his GCSEs next term.