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'Incredibly resilient' teen up for national award

Handout A teenage girl with short brown hair, canoeing on a river and wearing a red life vest. She is smiling.Handout
Emily, 16, has been praised for her "positive attitude" after being diagnosed with bone cancer in early 2023

A West Yorkshire teenager with complex disabilities has been nominated for a national award in recognition of her "incredible resilience and positive attitude".

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

The teenager, who is in remission from bone cancer, has been put forward for the Sense charity's Young Person of the Year award.

Emily, who underwent 14 rounds of chemotherapy during her recent treatment, said: "Life is for living and I intend to live mine to the full.”

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

Emily, who currently uses a wheelchair following her treatment, returned to school between chemotherapy sessions when she was well enough.

“You should never stop trying, never stop believing, never give up," she said.

Despite her experiences over the last 18 months, Andrew, her father, said his daughter was still smiling "all the time".

"She's got lots and lots of happiness inside her," he said.

Emily was physically active before her cancer diagnosis, with her family recently encouraging her to try canoeing, climbing, archery and basketball.

Handout A smiling Emily is in a wheelchair and has mid-length hair with a braid. She is beside her father Andrew, who has short fair hair. Emily's mum is also stood next to them, with shoulder-length blonde hair. Both Emily and Caroline are holding a lead and are helping to guide an alpaca. Handout
Emily, pictured on an alpaca trek with her parents, has been nominated for a national award

Caroline said she was "very proud" of her "very clever and very brave" daughter.

Andrew added: "She is very special and she is holding the torch for other kids too.

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

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

"We’re so glad she has been shortlisted for this award and we hope it has brought a smile to the whole family," he said.

The Sense Awards has 13 categories in total, with winners announced next week.

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