Anne-Marie was given this award for dealing with one of the most difficult situations a mother can face.

In October 2007, her son, Graiden, came into the world 23 weeks and five days premature, weighing just 1lb 3ozs.

For weeks afterwards, Anne-Marie (26), from Stanground, Peterborough, spent a fraught vigil at Graiden's incubator at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, along with Graiden's dad, Jamie (30), willing him to gain strength.

Finally, in March this year, more than five months after his birth, little Graiden was allowed home.

Speaking after receiving her award, Anne-Marie said: "I'm a bit overwhelmed. In the circumstances you just do what you do.

"I'm sure that every mum in the same situation would cope the same as me.

"I'm very lucky, I've got a very supportive family and in-laws, and all the medical staff at Peterborough and Cambridge were so brilliant at helping us through this situation.

"And we're very lucky – we've got a beautiful son."

Meet all the 2008 winners | Women of Achievement home - www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/woa
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Runner-up: Carmela Testa
In January, Carmela Testa gave birth to naturally-conceived identical triplets. The blonde-haired blue-eyed tots – Gabriella, Alessia and Olivia – were born seven weeks premature by emergency Caesarean, after Carmela (23), of Walkers Way, Peterborough, developed high blood pressure.

Runner-up: Sandy Hristov
A couple of years ago, Sandy Hristov had left a bad marriage and had a teenage son with ADHD who hated everything about school. She was living in a friend's spare room and was being told her son was going nowhere.

But today she has her own mobile disco business, Sandy's Sounds, and pays for her son to attend a boarding school in Somerset.