A nine-year-old brain injury survivor has won a courage award after emergency surgery and five months in hospital following a catastrophic brain injury.
Mathilda Wells received the honour at the Warrington Guardian Inspiration Awards 2026, held at The Village Hotel on April 23.
Her family’s lives changed in October 2024 when a ruptured AVM caused a massive bleed and a stroke. An AVM, or arteriovenous malformation, is an abnormal tangle of blood vessels that can burst.
Her nomination said: “The level of adversity Mathilda has overcome is staggering for someone so young.
“She effectively had to ‘reboot’ her entire life, learning how to talk, eat, and walk again from scratch.
“With limited use of her right hand, she has shown incredible resolve by teaching herself to do everything left-handed.
It added: “Mathilda faces every day with a smile, and a determination that is nothing short of heroic.
“She has shown more strength in the last year than most people do in a lifetime, and she is a true inspiration to the entire Warrington community.”
Mathilda underwent life-saving surgery and has since had 10 further brain operations. She spent five months in hospital, missing both her eighth birthday and Christmas as she fought to recover.
The injury left her needing to relearn basic skills including talking, eating and walking. With limited use of her right hand, she also taught herself to do everything left-handed.
She returned to school six months after the injury and is now hitting all her targets in maths and English, according to the nomination.
Mathilda has also helped raise £1,600 for Alder Hey Children’s Hospital to thank the staff who cared for her.
