Sophie Washington with her mum Lisa

A HATFIELD schoolgirl defied serious illness to score top marks in her GCSEs – aged just 15.

Bishop’s Hatfield Girls’ School student Sophie Washington picked up her results a year earlier than most, having spent five months in hospital with a rare form of diabetes and septicaemia.

Even though she still spends 75 per cent of the time as a bed-bound patient, determined Sophie – watched by proud mum Lisa – picked up three A*s, four As and two Bs.

And the remarkable teen, who has already partly completed an A-level in biology, said: “It’s been quite a tough year.

“But I was so determined that I wanted to do my GCSEs this year that I would do it anywhere; I didn’t want to miss the opportunity.

“I know I will get better, I don’t want to be stuck with no qualifications in the future just because I was ill when I was younger.”

For more on this story and a round up of GCSE results, see this weeks Welwyn Hatfield Times, out now.