On a brighter note, I was delighted to hear that Kirsty has done so well in her recent exams, securing 12 GCSEs in total.

For those that don’t know her story, Kirsty was born with a back-to-front heart and was given just weeks to live as a toddler.

It has been fantastic to watch the plucky youngster defy the odds time and time again, raising a staggering £5million in the process. I was in the stadium when she handed the torch over to David Beckham during the 2002 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony, and, although  Kirsty still faces many challenges to become a special needs teacher, who would bet against her achieving her ambitions?

Both Kirsty and Sister Aloysius are an inspiration to the people of Manchester.

 

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