Harry puts his sole into night for brave kids: Prince flashes his personalised footwear as he gets a big hug from boy, four, who was born weighing just 2lbs and has undergone 40 operations
Prince Harry was at the WellChild Awards, which honours the
courage of children with serious and terminal medical conditions, when
he met Carson Hartley, from Liverpool. Harry laughed with delight (left)
as Carson ran around him before leaning over and giving him a hug
(right) and a high five. The boy has had more than 40 operations and is
permanently ventilated via a tracheostomy and has to carry a machine
around with him. As Harry bent down to speak to the children he revealed
a rather eye-catching capital H on the sole of his shoes (inset).
Harry puts his sole into night for brave kids: Prince flashes his personalised footwear as he gets big hug from boy, 4, who was born weighing just 2lb and has undergone 40 operations
- Harry was at WellChild Awards, which honours bravery of very ill children
- Prince called Carson Hartley, four, a 'livewire' and hugged him
- The four-year-old has had more than 40 operations for various conditions
When you’ve shelled out a small fortune on a pukka pair of personalised shoes, it’s nice to get the chance to show them off.
That opportunity arose for Prince Harry while chatting to children at an awards ceremony last night.
As
he kneeled down to talk to the youngsters, the soles flashed with a
capital letter H studded into each one with shiny brass tacks.
The shoes, costing about £1,500, were handmade at John Lobb, which is close to St James’s Palace and holds three Royal Warrants.
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The royal footwear: Harry's bespoke shoes show off distinctive H in studs
Adorable: Prince Harry had the
pleasure of meeting Carson Hartley, four, from Liverpool. Carson was
born three months prematurely with a heart defect, chronic lung disease,
spina bifida and brittle bone disease
Harry laughed with delight as Carson ran around him before leaning over and giving him a hug and a high five
Mrs Hartley told Harry that Carson had four other siblings. ‘I would hate to have four sisters,’ the prince joked.
Harry
displayed his bespoke footwear at the WellChild Awards in Central
London to honour the courage of youngsters with serious medical
conditions.
The
prince, one of charity’s patrons, laughed with delight as Carson
Hartley, four, from Liverpool, ran around him before hugging him and
giving him a high five.
Carson
has had 40 operations for illnesses including a heart defect, lung
disease and spina bifida. He also has to carry a machine around with him
to breathe through a tube.
He has had more than 40 operations and is permanently ventilated via a tracheostomy and has to carry a machine around with him.
‘He’s a livewire. I bet he keeps you on his toes,’ he said to his parents, Damian, 23, and Kirsty, 34.
Mrs Hartley told Harry that Carson had four other siblings. ‘I would hate to have four sisters,’ the prince joked.
Afterwards
Mrs Hartley said: ‘He told me that he couldn’t believe how much energy
he had and how he couldn’t believe how happy he was given everything
that has happened. He was absolutely lovely and just amazing with
Carson.’
Prince Harry meets 15-year-old Cecilia Adamou, the Inspirational young person award winner for 2012/13
Gift: Martin Bennett (right), 14, presented Harry with a DVD for Prince George
Pictured is Maddison Sherwood, six,
who was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy in 2009 when she was ten
months old. Her condition causes severe muscle weakness and she relies
on a ventilator
In
a reception at the Park Lane Hilton in London, the prince was also
introduced to Maddison Sherwood, six, who gave him a home-made card with
a drawing she had done of him - with bright ginger hair.
‘Is that meant to be me?’ he laughed but took the joke in good spirits.
Maddison,
from East Keale, Northamptonshire, was diagnosed with spinal muscular
atrophy in 2009 when she was ten months old. Her condition causes severe
muscle weakness and she relies on a ventilator.
When
she was born her parents, Lidia and Jamie, were told she would never
talk, eat or be able to support her own head – but she now attends
mainstream school and can do everything her family was warned against.
Mrs
Sherwood, 28, said: ‘We asked him how old he was – we had read that he
was 30 but pretended we didn’t know. He told me that he was feeling very
old.
‘He
also told Maddison that she was doing wonderfully and that she should
carry on and do what she was doing as she had proved everyone wrong so
far.’
Another
award winner who left the Harry speechless was Olivia Ruston who
presented the prince with an hilarious pottery piggy bank she had made
with a shock of ginger hair.
‘Is that meant to be me?’ he roared, ‘that’s just brilliant.’
‘I
haven’t had one since I was a child so I had better start saving my
pennies in it,’ said the prince who recently was said to have inherited
£10 million for his 30th birthday.
Olivia Ruston presented the prince with a pottery piggy bank she had made with a shock of ginger hair
Royal visit: HRH meets Maddison Sherwood, six, Inspirational Child Award Winner, and mum Lidia
Prince Harry meets Rosie Flory, 15,
Most Caring Young Person Award winner with her mother Michelle. Rosie
presented Harry with a charity wrist band
The Master Of My Soul: Prince Harry was sporting an Invictus Games wristband
Olivia,
ten, from Southport was receiving an award for the way in which she
cares for her younger sister, Jessica, eight, who has acute medical
needs. Olivia is trained to help with Jessica’s tracheotomy and can feed
her sister through a peg in her stomach.
Her mother Alison, 35, said: ‘She is just remarkable.’
Harry has been patron of WellChild , the national charity for sick children, for seven years
Rosie
Flory, 15, also gave Harry a wrist band and cards made from drawings
created by her brother, Harry, who died in 2012 from a brain tumour.
Rosie, from Bournemouth, became Harry’s own Florence Nightingale and made sure his last months were happy and comfortable.
‘We
spoke about how grief affects us in different ways and how we cope with
it. Obviously he has had experience of losing someone close to him,’
she said.
The
prince also admired a tiara worn by Rachel Hooley, ten, from
Cramlington, Northumberland, who suffered acute heart failure when she
was seven and was given a transplant at the Freeman Hospital in
Newcastle.
She recently took part in the British and World Transplant Games in everything from swimming to sprinting.
‘He loved my tiara and dress – I couldn’t believe it,’ she said.
Harry
met 15-year-old Cecilia Adamou from Cobham, Surrey, who was born with a
serious congenital heart condition and has bravely overcome a series of
resulting complications.
‘I've
had a heart transplant, a kidney transplant. I've also got two brain
tumours, and two spinal tumours and some feet problems," she said. "I
was told I would never walk again.’
‘Prince Harry said a lot of people in the Army are told that but they do walk again.’
She too has defied the doctors' predictions and is walking again. ‘Hopefully I'm over the worst it,’ she added.
Harry
has been patron of WellChild , the national charity for sick children,
for seven years and has described their annual awards ceremony as one of
the highlights of his year.
'You are an example to us all - we can learn a great deal from your strength of character,' the Prince said
Left, dancer Trent Whiddon and Pixie Lott and right, the singer with model Oliver Cheshire
Gillian McKeith (centre) and daughters attend the WellChild Awards at London Hilton tonight
Stars: TV presenter Vernon Kaye and Eastenders actor Jonny Partridge
Perri Kiely and Jordan Banjo of dance troupe Diversity. Right, Made In Chelsea star Francesca Hull
In
an emotional speech, Harry said: ‘I would like to congratulate each of
the Award Winners - your stories are moving beyond words and remind us
all of just how fantastic you all are.
'You
are an example to us all - we can learn a great deal from your strength
of character, resolve and humour in facing down challenges every day.'
Also joining the prince were celebrity guests including Vernon Kay, Gaby Roslin and singer Pixie Lott.
Pixie,
who is currently appearing on Strictly Come Dancing, said: ‘It’s just
an honour to be here at such a heart-warming event. It makes you put
everything in perspective. These children are so amazing and I wouldn’t
miss it for the world.’
Asked
about Strictly she said: ‘The training is going well but there is so
much to learn, the steps are so complicated and the way you hold
yourself is like nothing I have done before.
‘My
first dance is on Friday – I can’t tell you what it is, it has to be a
secret – but there has been a bit of treading on toes.
‘The only dancing I have done of late is for my music videos – and ballroom couldn’t be more different.’
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