Going through the pain of losing a partner and facing up to the stark reality of being a single parent would be enough to bring anyone to their knees.

But when you are just 19 years old, and your partner has taken their own life, it takes incredible bravery and resilience to not only carry on, but to be a loving parent and committed student.

That is why young Luton mum Ashleigh Fraser, now 20, has been nominated for a Young People of the Year (YOPEY) award by her tutor at Dunstable College, where she is in the final year of a hairdressing course.

After a traumatic year, Ashleigh's life is firmly back on track, and she has just moved into a flat in Penhill, in Marsh Farm, with her 18-month-old son, Connor.

Her little boy was only nine months old when his father, 26-year-old builder Craig Timms, committed suicide at the family's flat in Linden Close, Dunstable. Ashleigh, who found Craig's body when she returned to the flat after staying the night at her grandmother's, blames his death on the fact that he bottled up his problems.

"We'd been together for five years but things had been a bit rocky," she said. "We had arguments - I know every relationship does but we were getting to the stage where it was coming to an end."

The former Lealands High School pupil admits to going "off the rails" after the huge shock of Craig's suicide, but with the help of her family she got herself back together.

For her, the nomination is proof of the fact that her life is back on course. She said: "Obviously there are some days when I'm very emotional, when I think about what's happened. But I'm very happy about the way my life is going now."

Do you know someone who deserves to be nominated for a YOPEY award? Log on to www.yopey.org for more information.