Prince Harry meets 'amazingly brave' children with serious illnesses

In his capacity as patron of the charity WellChild, Britain's Prince Harry, left, meets Marni Ahmed, aged 9, the winner of the Inspirational Child Award aged 7-10. Photo / AP

Prince Harry has paid tribute to some of the bravest children in the country, saying support for them and their families is "desperately needed".

The Prince, patron of charity WellChild, hailed children living with life-changing conditions, saying their stories were each "moving and inspirational", the Daily Telegraph reports.

Speaking at a glitzy awards show in London, he said: "Many of the children and young people WellChild support have been dealt the hardest card imaginable in life, and yet their courage inspires the most incredible strength in those around them."

Inspiring a rousing round of applause from the families in the audience, the Prince called for continued support for struggling families to meet the "ever-increasing demand".

"These awards were created to shine a bright light on an amazingly brave group of children and young people, on their lives, and on the resolve they and their families have shown to overcome such challenges," he said.

Prince Harry meets Sasha Burrell, aged 13, the winner of the Inspirational Child Award aged 11-14. Photo / AP

"Life for families caring for seriously ill children is exceptionally tough. And without WellChild it is even tougher.

"Over the years, the WellChild Awards has played a huge part in highlighting what these families need, and the support that is desperately needed to meet the ever-increasing demand."

The Prince presented two awards for some of the youngest children being honoured: seven-year-old Finley Green who copes with conditions including a cyst on the brain and is tube fed, and Erin Cross, who has spent five of her seven short years battling leukaemia.

A total of 16 awards honoured children, outstanding doctors and nurses, and young carers coping with challenges well beyond their years.

The evening saw Prince Harry reunited with some of the children he had met at Paddington station this morning, asking them how their train journey had been.

Prince Harry meets Katie Ward, aged 10, the winner of the Inspirational Child Award aged 7-10. Photo / AP

Around 130 children from charities including WellChild had been sent on an adventure to the countryside, meeting the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry as well as a lifesize Paddington Bear.

"You can tell me the truth," Harry whispered to one. "Was it actually good?"

Marni Ahmed, a nine-year-old who has rare skin condition Harlequin's Ichthyosis, told him that it had been very good, but that the train journey had "a lot of stops".

"That's quite a mouthful," Harry told him after Marni told him the name of his condition. "You'll have to help me say it."

Entering a room full of award-winners and their parents, the Prince complimented their balloon animals and asked whether they had been allowed a day off school to come to London.

He spoke to Katie Ward, 10, who is in a wheelchair after being born with short stature and later paralysed from the ribcage down, asking about her new YouTube channel.

Asking her whether she had been filming her day with WellChild, he made her promise to upload it to he could watch, telling her: "I'm going to hold you to that. Make sure you do, I'm looking forward to watching it."

The Prince also quizzed Sasha Burrell, 13, on her prosthetic legs, which she has used after contracting sepsis in 2013.

Harry, who founded the Invictus Games for wounded servicemen and women, asked whether she used blades, praising her after learning she had taken up trampolining.

"Sport is the thing," he told her. "Sport will help the mind, body and everything."

Discussing their experiences in hospital, the Prince pretended to be shocked as Sasha told him she loved the food, while Marni preferred a McDonalds.

Prince Harry makes a speech on stage at the annual WellChild awards at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London, Monday, Oct. 16, 2017. Photo / AP

Marni later proudly reported that he had asked the Prince whether he had ever eaten a kebab, claiming the answer was "no but lots of my friends like them."

Taking the opportunity to grill the Prince on the topics no adult dared, he also elicited facts on Harry's breakfast today: a sausage and bacon sandwich.

Marin's mother Gulzeab Ahmed, said of the Prince afterwards: "I think he's amazing.

"What he does for families, taking the time to talk to us all.

"It's quite daunting at first meeting him, but he's so down-to-earth - really inspirational, very caring.

"What he does with WellChild, it means the world to us."

After spending three hours at the event, the Prince did not go home empty-handed either.

Erin Cross, a seven-year-old who has battled leukaemia for five years, gave him a felt-tip pen picture of the two of them, and a helicopter flying over head.

Erin, who had hidden behind her chair after feeling a little shy when the Prince walked in, was soon coaxed out to talk about her picture, smiling as Harry told her: "You're quite the artist."

In his capacity as patron of the charity WellChild, Britain's Prince Harry, left, meets Marni Ahmed, aged 9, the winner of the Inspirational Child Award aged 7-10. Photo / AP

Rhiannon Horsman, 11, who won an award for tirelessly caring for her under brother, gave the Prince a pennant from her favourite rugby league team, which he asked her to sign for him.

Leaving a room full of award winners to go down to the ceremony itself, the Prince warned his new friends that the "children will be laughing, the parents will all be crying" at the emotional evening.

The WellChild awards, at Lancaster House Hotel, London, celebrate the achievements and courage of seriously ill children and their families, and thank those who care for and support them.

The awards were presented by broadcaster Gaby Roslin and Britain's Got Talent winner Ashley Banjo, both WellChild ambassadors.

Stars presenting awards included children's TV hosts Dick and Dom, Dr Ranj and Stormzy.