A 12-YEAR-OLD has traded the Somerset countryside for the high seas as part of a special adventure.
Amelie Williams, from Croscombe, near Shepton Mallet, has taken part in a sailing adventure with the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust.
Diagnosed with a medulloblastoma tumour in 2023, Amelie last week set sail with the charity from the Isle of Wight, one of her first times away from home.
The trip was one of many the Trust runs, taking young people aged between eight and 24 on sailing and outdoor adventures to inspire them to believe in a brighter future living through and beyond cancer.
Amelie said: “I had a brain tumour. There’s a really big scar. When I came out of a really, really long surgery I was left with some ataxia, which is a balance disorder. I can’t move my hand much on one side.
“I can’t run yet or jump a lot. It’s really hard to watch people running and playing tag because running is my favourite thing.
“But I don’t get too upset because I know I can build my way up to running again.
“I felt really comforted because there were lots of people on the boat that could help me.”
Amelie with some new friends sailing with the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust
The charity aims to help young people whose mental wellbeing often suffers beyond cancer treatment.
“This is not understood or talked about as much as it should be, leading young people to feel like they are the only one finding life after cancer just as hard,” a spokesperson said.
“Once their treatment has finished, they are often left with fewer friends and struggle with relationships, their education suffers, they miss out on work experience, and they develop body image issues.
“Late effects of being diagnosed young include infertility, extreme fatigue, osteoporosis, thyroid problems, and hearing or vision loss.”
The charity’s sailing and outdoor adventures are aimed at giving young people a new sense of purpose and self-worth, rediscovering their independence and feeling optimistic about what comes next in life.
Amelie added: “I liked steering the boat, because it made me feel so powerful. It made me feel like a captain.
“I was scared that people would treat me a lot differently. This has shown me that lots of people go through this. It’s made me feel more confident and more reassured.
“I’ve had the experience of telling my friends and them not knowing anything about it. It’s good to have your everyday friends, but when you come to the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust, you get to make new friends that understand what you’re going through or what you’ve been through.”
The Trust runs sailing trips for young people who have undergo treatment for cancer
Founder and patron of the charity, Dame Ellen MacArthur, said: “We see it time and time again. Young people arrive anxious and isolated. But they leave feeling part of something, accepted, independent, and optimistic.
“We are only able to support as many young people as we do thanks to the players of People’s Postcode Lottery. Because of them, thousands of young lives have been transformed after cancer through life-changing sailing and outdoor activity adventures.
“This summer we will welcome hundreds of young people from right across the UK who need post-treatment support.
“We will be there for them and they will believe in a brighter future.”
The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust is there for anyone looking for support, no matter how long off treatment they are. Visit ellenmacarthurcancertrust.org or follow @emctrust on social media.
What a wonderful experience for Amelie. We are very proud of the progress she has made because of her determination and positivity. Uncle Dick & Auntie Eileen