A TRAINEE nurse has battled through health issues to succeed in combining her intense studies with winning gold at this year's World Cheerleading Championships.

Stockton woman Jess Hall suffers from Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a disorder which affects her connective tissues and leaves her reliant on the use of a nasogastric tube, which was fitted shortly before she started at Northumbria University.

Despite the effects of her illness Ms Hall was determined to continue with her course and train to compete in this year’s World Cheerleading Championships.

She recently won gold as part of Team England’s Freestyle Paracheer Pom Team in Florida having trained and performed whilst using her feeding tube.

Ms Hall felt that her feeding tube often broke down barriers between herself and the children she looks after but now says that her varied experiences will help her to connect with the youngsters that she meets during her nursing degree..

She added: “The nasogastric tube was obviously visible, and recognised by children that had enteral feeding devices, so it was incredible to talk to these children about something that is often hard to navigate and accept, especially when I was learning to deal with it just as much as they were.

“My decision to become a children’s nurse was sparked when I was a child and in and out of hospitals. The nurses who looked after me always made me smile - they filled me with hope, treated me with respect and encouraged me that, despite my illness, I could achieve my dreams."

Ms Hall praised staff at Northumbria University for supporting her in her studies and to gain and attend a work placement in Sunderland Royal Hospital.

Katherine Drape, lecturer in Children’s Nursing at Northumbria University, tutors Jess on her degree programme.

She said staff at the university had learned from Ms Hall's experiences, adding: “Jess is a passionate and talented student and I’m sure she will be a fantastic nurse when she qualifies. Her resilience and dedication has been truly inspirational and she has had such a positive and heart-warming response from children and families she’s worked with.”