Gracie Edmead, lives with her Mum, Dad and three siblings. Her Dad serves in the British Army.

In June last year she was rushed to hospital in an ambulance with a suspected burst appendix while her Dad was working away on exercise. After hours in A&E, the family were told Gracie had Group Step A, a rare and life-threatening infection, and that she had also developed sepsis, which was rapidly taking hold of her body. Gracie didn’t initially respond to antibiotics and was quickly moved to intensive care where she was put on life support and dialysis and the family were told to expect the worst. Her Dad was contacted and returned home immediately.

Hospitalised for three months, Gracie was initially bed-bound and struggled to talk or walk for several weeks. But against all the odds, she slowly started to turn a corner. The hospital encouraged her to walk with a frame and she practiced every day, gradually increasing her time and distance.

When Gracie was discharged at the end of August, she had an nasal tube  to help her gain weight but after just one week Gracie was able to remove the tube herself, with permission from her doctors. Gracie returned to school in September, initially for just a few hours a week before returning full-time in January.

Gracie’s Mum, told us: “It’s been such a difficult ten months for Gracie and it was a terrifying experience for us as a family, but Gracie has come out of it stronger than ever. She takes everything in her stride and is the bravest girl we know.”

Gracie has been left with permanent health problems following the infection. She suffers with chronic kidney disease, regularly UTI infections and high blood pressure, and is regularly in and out of hospital for blood tests, ultrasounds and MRI scans. She is still very underweight for her age and height and has to ensure she drinks 2 litres of fluid every day, which she finds challenging. She has also had to cut-out lots of her favourite foods, including crisps, chocolate and fruit shoots.

Samanther adds: “Gracie has been so mature about not being able to eat some of her favourite things and the knowledge she has absorbed about her health and new medical problems amazes me. I don’t always know where she finds her strength on a daily basis but her sheer determination and amazing resilience is just part of who she is now. Receiving the Little Troopers medal in recognition of everything she has been through has made her so happy.”

Speaking about her award win, Gracie said: “I was surprised that I had a parcel with my name on it and inside was a certificate with my picture on and a gold medal. Mummy told me why they was sent to me and I was so happy because I am strong and  brave everyday.”

Louise Fetigan, founder of Little Troopers, adds: “What happened to Gracie is every family’s worst nightmare and the fact that she has been able to show such strength and bravery throughout her recovery is incredible. We hope Gracie wears her Little Troopers medal with pride and looks forward to showing it to her friends at school.”

Gracie has received a special Little Troopers medal to wear, as well as a gift voucher and a certificate.

This month, our Little Trooper of the Month Award has been sponsored by technology group, Thales.