Freddie-Jack and Melody – Child of Courage nomination

Freddie-Jack and Melody – Child of Courage nomination

Melody Brown was back at school just a few months after being diagnosed with stage three cancer and having her voicebox removed.

The 10-year-old and her brother Freddie-Jack, also aged 10, have developed their own sign language to communicate.

Devoted Freddie-Jack has been fundraising for Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Ronald McDonald House including raising around £2,500 by running the Potters ‘arf Marathon despite being born with a medical condition which led doctors to believe he might never walk.

They live in Smallthorne with parents Shannon and James and older brother Taylor, aged 14.

The family were invited to switch on the Christmas lights in Birmingham, collected Christmas presents for children who would be in hospital over the Christmas period and Freddie-Jack organised a bake sale to raise money.

The children have also had to deal with the loss of a baby brother who was born sleeping last year.

Melody and Freddie-Jack have been nominated in the Child of Courage category of the Your Heroes Awards by their very proud mum, Shannon.

She said: “I am 10,000% proud of them. We have never been happier with them.”

Melody was believed to have tonsilitis in 2024 because she was struggling to swallow. By the Monday of the following week she was in intensive care, the following day she was transferred to Birmingham Children’s Hospital and on the Thursday she was diagnosed with stage three cancer.

Freddie-Jack and Melody are usually inseparable so Shannon says he found it hard to be away from her while she was in intensive care in a different city.

“He was aged eight at the time and he and Taylor were staying with my mum. He couldn’t understand why he was being kept away from her. It was just horrible.

“Entirely off his own back he decided to organise a bake sale because he wanted to raise money for the Douglas Macmillan Hospice and Ronald McDonald House. He and my mum ended up doing it together.

“We had quite a few people wanting to support us. Freddie-Jack decided to join in and do the Potters ‘arf. We said we didn’t think he’d be able to manage it and he said ‘watch me’. He raised around £2,500 and every last penny went to charity.

“There’s just no fear in him. Nothing phases him. Melody can’t speak now and he spends every moment he can with her. All she wanted all the way through was him.

“They’ve developed their own form of sign language that they use to communicate with each other. Now Melody is back at school they’ve been put into the same class as they know what one another wants.”

She added: “They have been through more than most 10-year-olds.”