Emilia Carter – Child of Courage nominee

Emilia Carter – Child of Courage nominee

Emilia Carter has undergone 12 weeks of chemotherapy, seven weeks of radiotherapy, an operation to remove a cancerous tumour and will be on medication for life – yet her family say she is strongest one of them.

The nine-year-old, from the Staffordshire Moorlands, shocked her doctors by being back at school just two weeks after her radiotherapy treatment ended.

Emilia’s proud family have nominated her in the Child of Courage category of the Your Heroes Awards.

Dad Jason Carter said: “It began two and half years ago when Emilia started with issues drinking copious amounts of water all day and all night. Eventually this was identified as being a result of a tumour to the pituitary which was initially thought to be benign. Then last September, following surgery, it was classed as cancerous.”

The operation involved cutting a chunk of Emilia’s skull to reach the pituitary gland at the base of her brain.

During some of her treatment Emilia had to stay at the hospital with her mum while her dad stayed at home with her brothers Henry and Charles.

Jason said: “After the operation she went through 12 weeks of intensive chemotherapy followed by seven weeks of radiotherapy. The reason she is our hero is the unbelievable approach she took to every new, horrible challenge. Not once did she moan or feel sorry for herself but simply got on with it all.

“She continued going to school at the hospital when she could and never lost her sense of humour. We even went bowling one evening and she wanted her brothers to draw three circles in her head and pretend she was a bowling ball.

“Emilia has been the person going through it all, but also the strongest of us all. Now, a year on, she continues to impress and shock us with her determination to get back to normal.

“She is on medication for life to supplement the lack of a working pituitary gland plus some lifesaving injections if required. Again, she never moans at this but instead she takes control and continues as though nothing has changed. In our eyes she has definitely shown courage in abundance as do all children who have to go through such turmoil.”

He added: “Emila uses her humour to get through everything. Part of the reason for making this nomination is wanting to normalise it for her and not make it a bad thing. When something like this happens to your child you want them to use it as a strength.”