A BRAVE young woman has overcome a string of serious health issues to shine at high school.

Keely Graham, 12, who has a hole in her heart and a hearing impairment, has overcome hurdles to settle in to secondary studies.

The youngster contracted E.coli when she was a year old and when she was being monitored, it was discovered that she had a heart murmur and a scan showed she had a hole in her heart.

Despite her hearing problem and a developmental delay Keely has settled in to Notre Dame.

Her proud mum Kirsteen Begley, 37, said: "Keely was very nervous about starting high school.

"She was supposed to get an enhanced transition going into the school but because of Covid she didn't get it."

A series of ear infections caused Keely's ears to perforate and she now has a moderate hearing impairment.

She is also dyslexic.

Keely, a former St Patrick's Primary pupil, uses a hearing aid and teachers speak into microphones to help her in class.

She said: "I really like science and in the future I would like to be a nurse."

Her mum is especially pleased that Keely had been making friends with girls who went to different primary schools.

Kirsteen, of Ann Street in Greenock, said: "I was so proud I got a text from a mum thanking Keely for befriending her wee girl who didn't have many friends."

Keely said: "I just went up and started talking to her."

Kirsteen added: "This is an amazing thing for Keely to do, as she is quite shy."

The teenager's heart problem doesn't require surgery but does affect her circulation.

Despite this she enjoys Irish Country Dancing which she practises at the Loreto Club in Greenock.

Kirsteen, who also has two sons, Kyle, 14, and Conlon, eight, set up a support group this year to help youngsters like her daughter.

She said: "It's been a bit of a struggle over the years that is why I set up the support group Growing Pains.

"I found there was very little support out there for children who had wide-ranging disabilities, both physical and learning."

Growing Pains was launched in January and the group had met on Mondays before the pandemic interrupted things.

If anyone is interested in joining the group when it restarts then they should contact Kirsteen on her Facebook page.