A brother and sister have received prestigious awards in recognition of the courage and bravery they displayed while one of them faced an extremely rare form of cancer.
In September 2024, Hollie Robinson-Mellor from St Helens, Merseyside, was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a cancer which affects the retina of children predominantly under six-years-old.
At the time Hollie had just turned one-year-old. The extent of the cancer in her right eye meant doctors at Birmingham Children’s Hospital had to remove the eye in order to save her life.
Hollie now wears an artificial eye and continues to have her progress carefully monitored, partly to ensure her left eye (which was also found to contain tumours, but that doctors managed to save) remains cancer free.
Despite the day-to-day challenges which face Hollie, she strives to live life to the full with help from her five-year-old brother Ted, who provides his younger sister – not to mention their parents, Kevin and Colette Robinson-Mellor – with unrelenting support.
In recognition of Hollie and Ted’s outstanding efforts and bravery in the face of such adversity, both children have been named as CHECT Champions by the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT).
The CHECT Champion awards aim to recognise the courage, resilience and patience shown by all children affected by retinoblastoma (often referred to as Rb for short) throughout treatment and beyond.
“It all began on Ted’s fourth birthday when we were in our kitchen and people were taking photos of him blowing out the candles on his cake,” recalls Colette.
“I noticed that when the flashes were going off, the pupil in Hollie’s right eye was gleaming white. At the time I thought ‘That’s odd’ but I put it down to the candles and flashes and didn’t think anything more of it.
“A few days later I was at home with the lights on. Hollie was looking up at me, and the way the light was positioned in relation to Hollie’s eye made it seem as if her pupil was made of glass.
“The following morning we managed to get her into an eye clinic attended by a specialist from Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, and he said it might be retinoblastoma. He referred us to Birmingham Children’s Hospital, which is the main retinoblastoma treatment centre for families in the north of England. Three days later we were in Birmingham with Hollie being examined under anaesthetic.”
Although the past 14 months have been unbelievably tough on the whole family, with regular trips being made to Birmingham for treatment and check-ups, Hollie’s recovery has been helped by her older brother who has been there for the entire family throughout all the hardships.
“After Hollie had the operation to remove her eye, Ted would lie on the bed with her and watch all her favourite cartoons on an iPad, pressing all the buttons for her so she could listen,” adds dad Kevin. “He even helped her walk for the first time up and down the corridors of the hospital when she was still unsteady on her feet.
“What Ted doesn’t realise is that he’s kept the whole family going single-handedly. Just by waking up every morning smiling and being himself, he’s kept the two of us going as well as Hollie. It’s just the most amazing thing and is something we’ll make sure he’s aware of when he grows up.”
Hollie and Ted have already received their CHECT Champion medals and framed certificates in recognition of their immense courage in the face of adversity.
CHECT has three vital missions – to offer one-to-one support for families and individuals affected by retinoblastoma, to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms to prompt earlier diagnosis, and to help fund research into the disease.
“So often, children affected by retinoblastoma face huge disruption, upset and distressing treatment not to mention follow-on check-ups,” says Richard Ashton, Chief Executive of the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust.
“We are delighted to recognise the wonderful courage and resilience shown by both Hollie and Ted. They really are thoroughly deserving champions.
“While retinoblastoma is a rare cancer, we urge all parents to be aware of the symptoms and to have their child checked out if they have any concerns at all. The most common signs are a white glow in the eye which is visible in certain lighting or a flash photo, or a squint (lazy eye).”
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