TWO children hailed as heroes for nursing victims of the tsunami disaster may be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Cherise Watson, ten, and her cousin Liam Fleming, 14, from Darlington, bandaged victims and brought drinking water to survivors of the disaster after the giant wave swamped their Thailand hotel.

But yesterday, after Cherise and Liam observed the three minutes silence, Cherise's mother, Trudy Watson, said she was worried the pair could be suffering from post-traumatic stress and planned to seek expert help.

The children were in the resort of Patong with their grandparents, Pam and Kenny Metcalfe, when the tsunami struck.

They watched from a balcony as the wave swamped their hotel and witnessed bodies being washed through the hotel grounds.

After The Northern Echo reported how the pair had pushed their terror aside to help battered and bleeding victims, they became national heroes, appearing on television and in national newspapers.

Yesterday, Cherise, who goes back to Corporation Road Primary School tomorrow, said: "We lit candles for all the people who died and I felt sad.

"Seeing what happened was really frightening. I will never be able to forget it.

"Lots and lots of people died and lots of children as young as me lost mums and dads and brothers and sisters.

"While the three minute silence was going on, I was thinking of the children my own age and wondering what they will do now."

Liam, who starts back at Haughton Community School, today, said: "During the silence, I thought about how lucky we were and felt sad for all the people who died and have gone. I saw on the news the bodies of Swedish people being brought home."

After the tsunami, the children and their grandparents ripped sheets up into bandages and brought water to injured people.

Ms Watson said: "Liam has been having nightmares and I don't know if I should talk to Cherise about it or not.

"I am going to ask social services if they can help with some counselling."

Mrs Metcalfe took the children down to the beach for a swim before they left Thailand because she did not want the disaster to make them scared of the sea.

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