National award for 'incredibly resilient' teenager

A teenager with complex disabilities has won a national award for her "incredible resilience and positive attitude".

Emily, 16, from Huddersfield, developed health problems including cerebral palsy, epilepsy, a visual impairment and autism after she suffered a brain injury soon after birth.

The teenager, who is in remission from bone cancer, has been named as the Sense charity's Young Person of the Year.

Emily, who underwent 14 rounds of chemotherapy during her recent treatment, said: "You should never stop trying, never stop believing, never give up."

She added: "Life is for living and I intend to live mine to the full."

Emily's parents, Andrew and Caroline Swales, said winning the award had "really put a smile on all of our family’s faces after such a difficult year".

Emily went through 12 blood transfusions and six weeks of radiotherapy for a rare and aggressive bone cancer called Ewing sarcoma, the disability charity said.

The teenager's treatment left her in a wheelchair, but Mrs Swales said she dealt with the illness "really well".

"She has this get-up-and-go attitude.

"The chemotherapy made her very poorly. She was poorly while she was having that treatment but she smiled and got on with it."

Mr Swales said he was "immensely proud" of his daughter.

"She is very special and she is holding the torch for other kids too," he said.

"It’s hard to get through cancer when you are mainstream, but when you have additional needs, it's even harder."

Sense chief executive Richard Kramer said support staff had been "blown away" by Emily's "incredible resilience and positive attitude at a time of adversity".

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