A seven-year-old girl who is a carer for her two disabled brothers has been turned into a superhero character – in the BEANO.
Caring Breeze Martin helps her parents look after wheelchair-bound Coast, nine, and Blue, 10, who both battle severe autism and require 24-hour care.
But in her spare time the youngster loves to read the Beano, which she fell in love with at the age of four after buying an old annual at a school fair.
A few months ago, she wrote to the Beano revealing: “I like looking after my severely disabled brother Coast. He can’t speak so I like imagining what he might be thinking.
“I also like drama and roast dinners.”
Creatives at Beano responded by dedicating an entire page in the magazine to the smiley schoolgirl and creating a character based on her.
The cartoon version of Breeze also has a superpower – the “amazing” ability to “fix things” and make her siblings “feel better”.
Her mum Becky, 42, of Cheltenham, Glos., said: “When I showed Breeze the magazine she thought it was amazing. She said, ‘I’ve got my superpower.’
“It’s difficult when you have two children who are very disabled and require a lot of time, to give Breeze the time that most seven-year-olds have.
“Sometimes it’s hard for her to do the things that other kids get to do, so for her to have something like this is wonderful.
“It would be really easy for a big company to ignore her but they have made her dream come true. It’s really sweet.
“It’s really special for her – it’s like when a child writes to Santa.”
In the comic, Breeze introduces Coast, who is sitting in his green wheelchair, and Blue, who both have a genetic fault, as well as her little brother Harbour, four.
Her kindhearted character then helps mischievous Beano star Minnie the Minx fix her catapult with her superpower.
In real life, Breeze is devoted to helping her mum and dad John, 55, who are both full-time carers but volunteer in the disability sector, keep her brothers entertained.
Former business owner Becky said: “It would be really easy for Breeze to complain as we have to pay so much attention to her older brothers, but she doesn’t.
“Coast is developmentally like a baby and he is quite psychically disabled. Breeze looks after him a great deal – she always makes sure he is happy.
“If he is feeling sad she will try and play tickles with him or do row the boat or hand-clapping, and she loves pushing him around in his wheelchair and introducing him.
“Blue is much more able and can speak, but he has really narrow interests – at the moment he’s obsessed with Mr Men.
“Breeze is very caring. She puts up with her older brothers and has got more patience than I have – it’s a natural instinct.
“She always make sure everyone is happy and is sunny and smiley. I’m very proud.”
The delighted schoolgirl was also made ‘Beano Boss’ for the issue – a special job given to a reader which sees them help the team make editorial decisions.
She got to choose which submitted letter won the weekly competition and was sent a list of jokes to pick which one would be printed.
Breeze said: “I wrote to them and they wrote back to me. It’s really fun being in the Beano. It is really cool.
“Lots of people buy it and my friends have seen it. They think I’m famous.”
Beano’s editorial director Mike Stirling, said the team decided to create a comic strip about Breeze after being moved by her letter.
A cartoonist then brought the story to life using some family photos for inspiration.
Mike said: “When we spoke to Breeze she told us she told us all about her family and said she really enjoys looking after Coast.
“She said he can’t speak so she likes to imagine what he might be thinking.
“She is using her imagination and making people feel better, and it’s lovely to be able to capture that in the comic.
“If we can do a tiny little thing that makes a kid like her happy, it’s top notch for us.”
