Poem on Courage Inspired by Young Cancer Patients

Joseph Coelho, a former children’s laureate, has penned a poem celebrating courage, drawing inspiration from five young individuals confronting cancer, including two from the Thames Valley region. Among these children are Lily, aged eight, from Witney, Oxfordshire, and five-year-old Stanley, from Bracknell, Berkshire, both of whom have experienced cancer during their early lives. Lily is presently undergoing treatment for leukaemia, whereas Stanley achieved a year of being cancer-free following his recovery from a form of kidney cancer last year. These two children served as the muse for Joseph Coelho’s poem, titled “Courage Looks Like Me.” The poem was composed to commemorate the introduction of this year’s Cancer Research UK for Children & Young People Star Awards. Earlier this year, Lily received a diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, a form of blood cancer, and has since undergone both chemotherapy and immunotherapy treatments. Her mother, Kate, stated: “That has become part of our lives now and we have to accept it as our new normal.” Kate also mentioned that Lily had remained “so brave and cheerful” throughout her treatment period. According to her mother, Lily still has “a long way to go,” as her treatment is not scheduled to conclude until 2026. Kate expressed that it “meant a lot for Lily to be part of the poem.” As part of inspiring the specially commissioned poem, each child was prompted to describe what courage sounds like to them. Lily responded that it sounded like “a lion’s roar.” Stanley described the sound of courage as: “Pow, like a karate chop.” The five-year-old received a diagnosis of Wilm’s Tumour, a form of kidney cancer prevalent in children, in February 2023. He underwent surgery for the removal of the tumour and his left kidney, subsequently receiving radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Stanley’s mother, Sadie, commented: “Although he’s been extremely poorly, he’s been the bravest, strongest and most determined little boy.” She added: “He is so resilient – he amazes me and keeps us going.” Stanley completed his chemotherapy treatment towards the end of 2023 and was honored with one of Cancer Research UK’s star awards in recognition of his courage. These awards are accessible to all children across the UK who have received cancer treatment within the past five years, with every eligible nominated child being presented with an award. Joseph Coelho stated: “The star awards are a brilliant initiative and I’m proud that our poem can play a part in raising awareness of them – and recognise more children for their courage and resilience in the face of cancer.” The poet collaborated with five children from various parts of the UK to develop the piece. He remarked: “The children blew me away.” Stanley’s mother, Sadie, commented: “It’s so inspiring that children who are still so young and have been through so much can put into words what cancer meant to them.” She continued: “I think their poem will give others hope and hopefully one day Stan will forget about the tough parts of his cancer and remember how making this poem is helping other children.” Lily’s mother, Kate, further added: “We hope the poem will resonate with other families of children affected by cancer and help spread the word about the star awards.” For updates, BBC Oxfordshire can be followed on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding their approach to external linking is available.