A basketball-mad teenager has been described by his mum as 'simply amazing' after winning the 'boy student of Year 9 award' at Liskeard School and Community College.

Fourteen-year-old Josh Karn, of Dobwalls, is the carer for both his mum Hannah, who has multiple schlerosis, and his sister Sophie, who has type l diabetes and is insulin dependent.

His demanding role at home was just one of the reasons Josh's head of year Helen Rogers chose him for the award. She said Josh had really matured over the last three years and was also polite, smart, and 'down to exceed his mark in seven subjects'.

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'Josh is a young carer, which can have an amazing impact on children's lives,' she said. 'He is a really worthy recipient of the award. We think very carefully about who to choose, but Josh stood out. He is a credit to his mum.' Josh also received certificates for progress in PE and attainment.

Hannah was diagnosed with multiple schlerosis last year, and says she and Sophie rely on Josh to do most of the work around the house.

'He does the cleaning, odd jobs, a lot of the cooking and shopping, and most of the fetching and carrying, as well as making me my cups of tea,' she said.

'He keeps an eye on Sophie whose blood sugar levels can drop. He calms her down and sorts out her medication.

'He is my amazing son, who is doing so well despite everything he does for us, and I am so proud of him. He never moans about what he does and just accepts that he is needed by us both.'

For a release from his home duties, Josh is passionate about basketball and dreams of playing in the National Basketball Association (NBA) in the USA. He supports Plymouth Raiders and has just finished playing in a Plymouth basketball league for which he received a certificate and was consistently among the top players.

'My dream for him would for him to be able to go to the British NBA finals at Wembley next April, but my circumstances as a single parent with health problems makes this unlikely,' said Hannah.

'I would just love to see his face if I was able to come up with a surprise like that.'