Layla Reid, seven, wins Young Epilepsy Champions award for book

A YOUNGSTER who had a book published at the age of seven has been shortlisted for a national award.

Layla Reid was nominated for a Young Epilepsy Champions award for the book she wrote for other young people about living with epilepsy.

Her mum Sarah has suffered with epilepsy since she was a child and her daughter, now eight, felt it would be helpful to write a book to help other people understand the condition.

The Soundwell youngster was also shortlisted for her quick-thinking when her mother had a seizure while pushing baby daughter Lauren across the road in her pram.

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Layla and her family have been invited to an awards ceremony in London's City Hall later this month where she is up against two other people for the award.

Mrs Reid, 32, generally suffers what are called absence seizures, which can make her appear drunk and confused. She said the seizures happen as often as once a day and they cause her to stare into space and talk nonsense.

Mrs Reid said she was crossing the road in Kingswood in September with Layla and Lauren, who was four-months-old at the time.

"The next thing I knew I was in an ambulance and thought 'what's happened here?' as I could not remember anything," she said.

"My sister had dropped me off and was at her car and called 999. Layla told me she had tried to get me out of the road. It was scary to think I had just pushed Lauren out into the road in front of a car."

Layla decided to write her Epilepsy Book For Kids and did not tell her mum what she was doing at first.

Once the youngster had completed it her mother contacted Pomegranate Books who went on to publish it.

Mrs Reid said that her daughter has had to grow up fast to deal with the impact of her epilepsy.

She said the youngster often helped to look after her mum and sister.

Mrs Reid said: "I had a seizure the other day and Layla was able to pick up the phone and call my husband Mark at work.

"And yesterday she got breakfast ready for me and Lauren. She is an eight-year-old going on 18 and does stuff a child wouldn't normally do."

Mrs Reid said that the charity Young Carers supports Layla and talks to her about any worries she has.

"She can talk to them in confidence knowing it is not going to hurt my feelings. Layla struggles sometimes to say what worries her and has a book where she draws and writes what is on her mind.

"There is a picture of me carrying Lauren downstairs because she is worried I'm going to drop her."

Layla, her mother and grandparents will attend the ceremony in London.

Mrs Reid said: "I can't believe it. It is not every day that a child gets nominated for an award and invited to City Hall. She has been whittled down to the final three out of more than 100 entrants.

"It is amazing really."