Mum shows her thanks to cool-headed Chloe

Pride in Oldham Award nominee Chloe Crawford (16) who is autistic managed to over come her condition and stayed with her brother after he was in a car accident.

AS HER four-year-old son lay critically injured in the road after being hit by a car, the horrific moments that followed were also peppered with anxiety.

That's because mum Shirley Davey was worried about the effect the incident would have on her autistic daughter.

As Shirley dashed to the aid of little Oliver Smethurst (5), following the accident outside Chadderton Wellbeing Centre, last February, her thoughts were also for her daughter Chloe Crawford (16) who was diagnosed with autism when she was ten.

But to Shirley's utter amazement her daughter remained calm and managed to overcome her condition to stay by her injured brother's side.

Shirley says she'll never forget her daughter's bravery that day and has nominated the Hopwood Hall student for a Pride in Oldham award.

Oliver, then aged four, is now well on the road to recovery but at the time it was touch and go after he suffered three skull fractures, a fractured pelvis and broken legs.

He was put under sedation for three days on a ventilator in intensive care at Royal Manchester Children's Hospital.

"I thought Chloe would have been hysterical," said Shirley, from Chadderton, who compared the terrible scene with something out of a TV drama.

"I rushed to pick him up, he had a big gash in his head, blood was pouring out yet Chloe just remained calm.

"When I put him on the floor she sat there talking to him. She was like a professional. A lot of people wouldn't expect someone with autism to deal with that but she did.

"She'd seen it all happen yet she not only coped with it, she helped."

Chloe, who is studying performance art, said: "What happened that day was very bad but I just did what I thought was for the best. It's great to be nominated for the award."