THE AMAZING courage of a child who escaped death three times after sustaining 60 per cent burns to his body when he was a baby will be recognised at South Tawton on Monday when he receives a bravery award from a national charity.

Seven-year-old Kieran Shilston will be the first child ever to receive an award from the Children's Fire and Burn Trust at a special presentation ceremony at South Tawton Primary School.

Young Kieran, from Sticklepath, has been chosen for the great courage he has shown over the past five years, more than two of which have been spent in hospital having operations, treatment and check-ups.

At the tender age of 18 months, the youngster, who is now cared for by his grandparents, fell into a bath of hot water and suffered 60 per cent burns to his body. During the initial stages his lung collapsed and he 'died' three times before being stabilised.

He remained at Frenchay Hospital in Bristol for eight and a half months with his grandmother, Janet Shilston, paying numerous visits and eventually staying with him for more than a month to learn all about burns and home treatment.

Since then Kieran has received 37 operations, the latest of which was in November — he spent five weeks in hospital before being allowed home for Christmas.

He will continue to undergo regular operations until he reaches the age of 18 when he stops growing but Kieran will be scarred for the rest of his life.

Janet Shilston said her grandson remained incredibly cheerful although he had to live with constant itching from thick scarring, back pain and the threat of infection.

'He is a very brave little man and has a lot of willpower — he has to get through it,' she said. 'There are occasions when he gets down but most of the time he is a cheerful child with a great character who leads as normal a life as possible.'

Kieran has to take drugs including morphine to reduce the pain and his grandmother applies cream to his body twice a day to alleviate the itching.

'The itching is the horrific bit for Kieran but he is trialling a new drug from Frenchay Hospital which seems to be working,' she said.

Kieran has to undergo operations to remove skin from parts of his body such as his legs to put on his back where the skin is not growing. All through his periods in hospital Mrs Shilston sleeps by his side to comfort him.

'Kieran's body is growing but his skin is not so it is liable to split — until he is 18 he will have to have regular operations and after that they will be much less frequent,' she said.

She said her grandson would also have plastic surgery at a later stage to reduce his disfigurement but at the moment this was at the bottom of the list.

Despite being away from home for long periods, Kieran has remained at South Tawton Primary School, with home tuition when he is too poorly to attend.

Headteacher of the school Bobby Sutton said Kieran had a sunny character and was full of fun.

'A lot of the time you cannot tell he is in pain because he does not show it,' she said. 'He really tries his best and fits in very well. All the other children at the school take care of him and send letters to him when he is in hospital.

'This award is a wonderful thing for Kieran because it shows how he is overcoming his difficulties even though he is still so young,' she said.

The Children's Fire and Burn Trust promotes burns prevention and long-term rehabilitation and among its patrons are Prince Michael of Kent and actress Amanda Redman, who was also burned as a child.

Jo Huston from the charity said Kieran was such a special little boy that it seemed very appropriate he should receive the charity's first award.

'He has shown a tremendous amount of courage and his story highlights the plight of children who suffer severe burns, so we hope it will raise awareness of the issue,' she said.

A major emphasis of the charity is to expand existing burns clubs, support families and summer activity camps. Children who attend the clubs and camps learn to share their experiences and develop new skills which in turn gives them higher self-esteem and confidence.

As part of the award Kieran will receive tickets to Zippo's circus for himself and friends.