A CAMELFORD girl is up for two prestigious awards at the 2017 MS Awards, receiving recognition for the work she does as a young carer, writes Rosie Cripps.

Fourteen-year-old Olivia Ferguson, known to those close to her as Livvy, has been a young carer since the age of eight, and cares for her mother, Kirsty, for over 50 hours a week.

Kirsty, a valuable and active member of the Camelford community, has lived with multiple sclerosis (MS) since 2010.

This disease is a neurological condition, when the substance that protects the nerve fibres, myelin, becomes damaged due to the immune system mistaking it for a foreign body and attacking it. This disrupts messages travelling to the nerve fibres, and damages them.

This incurable condition has an impact on many aspects of Kirsty’s daily life, meaning her daughter Livvy has to care for her.

Livvy spends her days making sure her mum is comfortable and safe, sorting her medication, cleaning and cooking, as well as taking care of her mum personally and talking to her about things to help her emotional needs.

Kirsty explained that MS can affect the mood quite considerably, and sharing her thoughts with her daughter helps her enormously.

As well as caring for her mum on a daily basis, Livvy has her own blog, The Odd Pigeon, where she shares her stories and experiences and has gained a large following since starting it.

She also takes part in fundraising and awareness events for the condition, including the MS walk in London in 2016, and has more recently been taking action to help change the personal independence payment (PIP) legislation, which can leave many people with diseases and disabilities, such as MS, stranded.

Kirsty said: “The whole family are blown away by Livvy’s determination to spread the word about MS and raise awareness about young carers — she truly is an inspiration.”

Livvy’s work has now been recognised, after being nominated for two categories at the 2017 MS Awards, due to take place in May.

These include Young Carer and Digital Media — of which the latter she has been nominated for through her The Odd Pigeon blog.

She is now a top three finalist in both categories, and she will travel to County Hall, London, on May 5, with her mum and grandma to find out if she has won a title.

As well as her responsibilities at home, Livvy manages to remain a high flyer at her school, Sir James Smith’s, and is predicted A* grades in her GCSEs, which she is due to sit next year.

Kirsty told the Post that she is ‘thrilled’ with her daughter’s achievements.