Huddersfield Teenager Receives National Award for Resilience

A national award has been bestowed upon a teenager living with complex disabilities, recognizing her “incredible resilience and positive attitude.” Emily, a 16-year-old from Huddersfield, experienced a brain injury shortly after birth, leading to the development of various health conditions such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy, a visual impairment, and autism. This teenager, currently in remission from bone cancer, has been designated as the Sense charity’s Young Person of the Year. Emily, who recently completed 14 rounds of chemotherapy as part of her treatment, stated: “You should never stop trying, never stop believing, never give up.” She further commented: “Life is for living and I intend to live mine to the full.” Andrew and Caroline Swales, Emily’s parents, expressed that receiving the award had “really put a smile on all of our family’s faces after such a difficult year.” According to the disability charity, Emily underwent 12 blood transfusions and six weeks of radiotherapy to treat a rare and aggressive form of bone cancer known as Ewing sarcoma. While her treatment resulted in the teenager using a wheelchair, Mrs Swales noted that Emily managed the illness “really well.” Mrs Swales added: “She has this get-up-and-go attitude.” The chemotherapy caused her significant illness. Despite being unwell during the treatment, she maintained a positive outlook and persevered. Mr Swales conveyed that he was “immensely proud” of his daughter. He remarked: “She is very special and she is holding the torch for other kids too.” He continued: “It’s hard to get through cancer when you are mainstream, but when you have additional needs, it’s even harder.” Richard Kramer, Sense chief executive, stated that support staff were “blown away” by Emily’s “incredible resilience and positive attitude at a time of adversity.”