Inspirational Children of Courage honoured at Boston ceremony

A group of inspirational children who have shown outstanding courage were honoured at a moving ceremony in Boston recently.
Representatives of all the Children of Courage award recipientsRepresentatives of all the Children of Courage award recipients
Representatives of all the Children of Courage award recipients

The Rotary Club of Boston St Botulph and the Rotary Club of Boston organised Children of Courage Awards saw young people who have shown exceptional bravery by overcoming adversities or by making sacrifices to help others given a special accolade.Their stories were heard by guests including Boston’s boxing hero Callum Johnson, who also gave an inspirational talk for the youngsters as guest speaker.Yvonne Slater, president elect of Boston St Botulph Rotary club and one of the organisers of the event, said it was a very moving event, and thanked everyone who had been involved.“The stories were all very touching. They are all just wonderful children and fully deserving of this recognition,” she said.Four awards were given out to three individuals and one group of children at the ceremony at Boston West Golf Club last week.Those honoured were:

Those honoured were:

Molly Trevor: Molly, of Boston High School, was determined to go ahead with her GCSEs, despite missing six months of school as she received treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, spending 180 nights undergoing chemotherapy at Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham.

Mollie Trevor receives her awardMollie Trevor receives her award
Mollie Trevor receives her award

She was advised to wait another year, but decided to take them, getting the grades she needed to go on to A-Levels, which she is now studying for.

The nomination stated: “We have recommended her for this award because she is a role model to us all. She never makes excuses and her strength of character is incredible.”

Millie Skinner: Millie, of Giles Academy, has had recurring ear infection. She was diagnosed with the conditions Hypgamaglobulinemia and Hyper IGM syndrome and Common Variable Immune Deficiency which means she cannot create antibodies. She ended up spending three Christmases in a row in hospital due to a recurrence of pneumonia.

She was then diagnosed with bronchitis, and now has to use four physio machines from first thing in the morning to last thing at night to keep her lungs healthy.

Millie Skinner receives her awardMillie Skinner receives her award
Millie Skinner receives her award

She has had cancerous moles removed from her arm and her leg.

She has also had to cope with the sudden death of her father last year.

Haven High Academy Form Group 22F: One of their friends from the form, Bartosz, passed away suddenly at the age of 12 in September last year. He had been in school as normal that day, but later in the evening collapsed and died at home.

Since then, the students, supported and encouraged by their form tutor, have held a fundraiser to create a lasting memorial for Bartosz at the school.

Representatives of form GP 22F receive their awardRepresentatives of form GP 22F receive their award
Representatives of form GP 22F receive their award

The nomination says: “They are truly remarkable young people and we as an academy are so proud of the way they have coped with this tragedy.”

Ella Cartlidge: Ella, of Boston College, was diagnosed with a series of chronic conditions in her final year at secondary school, including Chronic Hypermobility and Chronic Widespread Pain. The combination of these conditions leaves her very weak at times and at risk of not being able to support her own weight.She had been predicted straight As at GCSE before her diagnosis, and she determinedly returned to school to take her exams, gaining a very strong profile in spite of her condition.After long discussions about her care needs, Boston College created a bespoke programme to allow Ella to access a full Level 3 ICT course that could fit in with her care and treatment needs. In her nomination, the college says she is flourishing, not only producing high quality work, but also finding time to support others. “With Ella’s determination and spirit, her complex medical needs are not a barrier to learning; instead they are a testament that regardless of medical needs, you can do anything you set your mind to. This should be celebrated and seen as an inspiration for others.”

Related topics: