THE mother of a severely disabled 18-year-old who created an after-school club has been nominated for one of The Argus Community Stars Awards.

Marian Tipler, 51, is in the running for the Parent of the Year Award for the way she cares “tirelessly and patiently” for Joseph, who has a mental age of around 18 months and uses a wheelchair most of the time.

Her friend Allison Jones, of Brighton, said: “Marian takes Joseph to all sorts of places and nothing is a barrier to her.

“She is calm in the face of adversity – she even spent six weeks in hospital with Joseph after he had spinal surgery.

“I also have a disabled son. My son can talk and has challenging behaviour.

“Joseph doesn’t talk but you get stared at when you’re out. If your child behaves unexpectedly you don’t know how people will react.

“Sometimes they get angry and you’re going to be stared at but Marian is always so calm and so patient.”

“Living somewhere like Brighton, which is hilly, it’s difficult taking someone around in a wheelchair and there are no places to change an adult. It’s difficult.You can see just how much she loves Joseph.”

Marian, who lives with partner Neil Man in Portslade, has set up Extratime, a charity which provides after-school activities and even holidays for children like her son.

She told The Argus: “I’m really surprised. That’s really kind of Ally but I don’t really do any more with Joseph than any of my friends do with their children.

“Neil and I are a team. One of the best things about being the parent of a child with disabilities is all the other amazing parents that you meet and feeling like you have a wider family. They’re with you when things are really good and when things are hard as well.

“Joseph loves being out and about. He loves seeing things and being among the trees and in green places. And then sitting on my knee at the end of the day. He’s quite big to do that now but he loves a cuddle.”