THE mother of two Bournemouth children needing extensive hospital treatment has nominated their nurse for a national award.

The Daily Echo reported in November that Gabrielle Archer’s three-year-old son Isaac suffered life-threatening complications after contracting E coli, spending more than a month in hospital.

Ms Archer, who lives with her family in Boscombe, received the news in 2012 that her then one-year-old daughter Isabella was suffering with juvenile arthritis.

“She was petrified, unable to walk and in constant pain,” said Ms Archer. “She had been poked and prodded so many times it was a struggle for anyone to get close. She could not have physio as she would just scream at her therapist.”

That fear disappeared after they met Sarah Hartfree, a paediatric nurse at Southampton Children’s Hospital.

And when Isaac was being treated at the hospital last year Ms Hartfree was there again to offer support.

Ms Archer continued: “We were inpatients for six weeks and Sarah would come and check on Isaac and me, as well as popping in to examine Bella’s legs as I was unable to make appointments.”

The family is so grateful for Ms Hartfree’s help that they have nominated her for the Yakult Patients Choice category of the Nurses Awards 2015.

“We saw Sarah two or three times a week in those first few months of the diagnosis and she was there to reassure us as often as we needed it – even if it meant returning our calls outside working hours,” added Ms Archer.

“Any signs of new disease or struggle with control of disease, she would have Bella booked into the next clinic and was always there to meet her with a huge smile.

“We are almost three years into Isabella's journey and without Sarah I don't know how I would have got through those first few months or the dark days that have followed in between - I could never thank her enough.”

Ms Hartfree, who has been nursing for 13 years, said: “I met the Archers quite early into this role. I am lucky and have got very healthy kids and this family looked like they were in need. I have just been able to be there at the right time. That mummy is the superhero here.”

You can place your vote by visiting nurseawards.co.uk/740.