A TEN-year-old girl has been awarded £2.75million after she suffered brain damage during birth.

Today her mother said that the money would enable her daughter to have the best of care. But she added that said it would never compensate for the heartache the incident caused.

The girl, who lives with her family in Blackburn, was born at Queens Park Hospital in 1992.

She suffered severe brain damage after asphyxiating during birth but that would have been avoided had she been born earlier by emergency Caesarean section, a hearing in Preston was told.

Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Health Care NHS Trust admitted negligence and agreed to pay £2.75million. The trust apologised to the child's parents and paid tribute to the care that the parents give to their daughter.

However, the mother, who has asked to remain anonymous, said the money could not make up for the damage suffered by her daughter.

She said today: "The money doesn't compensate at all. All the money in the world won't compensate, it doesn't put it right but it will give her a far better life.

"I would give everything up for her, if I could give her my brain I would. But I know I cannot turn the clock back, you cannot live like that."

The mother described the torment of going through a two-day labour and the shock of giving birth to a baby on the verge of death.

She said: "The baby was born dead, she stopped breathing. They managed to get her going again, but she was fitting and then she was on drugs. It's been a nightmare."

However, the mother said she was now hopeful for the future.

She said: "I love her, she is the light of my life. Now she can have the best of everything and get the best care."And despite the settlement, one of the biggest ever awarded in the county, the mother's faith in the NHS has been lost forever.

She said: "I have lost faith with the NHS. She would be a healthy little girl now, bright as a button."

"You plan a baby, look forward to it and at the end it just goes so wrong.

"The trauma it's given me. I have had to fight this for 10 years."

John Dell, acting chief executive of Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Health Care NHS Trust, said: "The trust is pleased that agreement has been reached with the parents of a child born in 1992 with brain damage.

"Further to the issue of proceedings in March 1998 settlement has now been approved by the court which secures the child's future.

"The trust extends its apologies to the child and her family and deeply regrets the tragedy suffered at the time of her birth.

"The trust would like to pay tribute to the devoted care that the parents give to their daughter and wish her and her family well for the future."

Solicitor Andrew Sands, a partner with specialist medical negligence firm Lonsdales in Preston, who represented the mother, said the girl could walk and talk after countless hours spent with her by her mother helping her with recovery.

She did, however, have problems with speech and balance and had severe learning difficulties.

He said her condition had improved consistently since she was child and the mother was hopeful this progress would continue but it was unlikely she would ever be able to care for herself.

The mother is married and has an elder daughter.