Esme battled a brain tumour for nearly 7 years from the age of 11 and her courage and determination to continue living life to the full, always with a beautiful smile, was an inspiration to thousands of people. She wrote a searingly honest account of the challenges she faced head on in her short life. This touched the hearts of many people and Esme showed how to triumph over adversity. You can see all of the adventures Esme experienced in the last 6 months since her second brain tumour was diagnosed, on her facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/EsmesAdventure. She was hugely passionate about raising awareness and funds for various cancer charities, in particular the Teenage Cancer Trust. She realised from when her illness was first diagnosed how important it was for young people facing cancer to have the appropriate support and the Teenage Cancer Trust plays a vital role. We hope everyone will support Esme in continuing to help the expansion of the Teenage Cancer Trust's work. 

Your donations will help realise Esme's ambitions for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

On her facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/EsmesAdventure) she explained how important the work of the Teenage Cancer Trust is: 

"I am a great supporter of Teenage Cancer Trust, they make sure that young peoples lives don’t stop because they have cancer. They ensure young people are treated as young people first, cancer patients second. Everything they do aims to improve their quality of life and chances of survival.

 

1.        They build Teenage Cancer Trust units that are primarily for Teenagers and young adults with cancer where young people can meet up in a relaxed atmosphere.

2.         They educate young people about cancer and work with health professionals to develop their knowledge so we can improve the speed and quality of diagnosis.

3.         And by funding research and working with partners in the NHS, government and organisations both nationally and internationally, they strive to improve survival rates.

 

Teenage Cancer Trust is the only UK charity dedicated to improving the quality of life and chances of survival for the six young people aged between 13 and 24 diagnosed with cancer every day. We know that what they need is to be treated together, by teenage cancer experts, in an environment suitable for them."

 

To understand the challenges Esme faced, this is the account that she wrote for her facebook page:

My story 

"In 2006, just as I was starting high school, I was experiencing sickness and severe headaches throughout the day so I went to see my GP. Unfortunately, I had to go to him a few times before I was sent to PRI (Perth Royal Infirmary) for blood tests. I was then transferred to Ninewells hospital in Dundee where I was diagnosed with a brain tumour (cancer). The Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh then undertook my brain operation that was to completely change my life.

When I came out of surgery I was temporally paralysed. I couldn't walk or move anything to start with.

Gradually, after the great help of many doctors and nurses and doing intensive physio for months, I learnt to walk and write again with my left hand as my right side was left weak so I am unable to hold a pencil in it. I spent nearly 4 months in hospital where none of my friends from school came to visit me except my best friend and next door neighbour Eilidh. I felt very isolated in hospital as I was in a children’s ward with no Internet and I was not really allowed to use my phone. 

I started an intensive coarse of radiotherapy at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh, which meant travelling over there everyday, in an ambulance (as that was the only type of vehicle that could take my horrible/huge wheelchair)! This was then followed by a course of Chemotherapy for almost a year, both these things made all my hair fall out so I started wearing colourful buffs (head scarfs).

My mum had to give up work for this time and a considerable amount of time afterwards. She stayed in the nearby ClicVilla all the time I was in hospital. Meanwhile my brother was doing his standard grades so my Dad stayed at home (which was an hour away) looking after my brother. I returned to school in August 2007 after missing nearly all of S1. Nobody really talked to me as I had changed. I was in a wheelchair, had no hair and I had an assistant to help me get around and to help me write. I was very slow at writing, because as you can imagine writing with your left hand when you are right handed is very difficult. I hated school not because of the work but it was just so lonely not being able to participate in everything people my age were doing. I couldn't join many extra curriculum clubs, as most of them were sports like hockey and football. The school system makes it very difficult for anyone with a disability like mine to feel included when trying to participate in sports like this. Any clubs I found I could join in were either stopped because there was so few people going or I was the only person who went!  I got very tired with chemotherapy and also very depressed so I only went to school part-time. I managed to do 5 standard grades at high school and passed them all, which I was very pleased with. I stared studying for higher exams at school but I could not finish them because I missed too much.I decided to leave school at the end of 5th year and try to do some highers at college but this did not workout as I really struggled with depression . I then started doing a Business course at another college hoping that being part of a class would be better for me. I was really enjoying it and had started making friends and I thought my life was getting back on track. I also managed to pass my driving test just after starting college, which was a huge step in my recovery. I was given a car through a government scheme which was a great help.

Then, at the beginning of November 2012 my balance was a bit shaky so I went into hospital for a check-up. I was completely lost for words when my doctor told me my cancer had returned. I felt like everything was starting from the beginning again. I had surgery the following week but not all of the tumour could be removed and it was then deemed incurable.

I celebrated my 18 Birthday in February and it was great. I went out for a lovely meal with all my family and then went to see Biffy Clyro with my friend Eilidh that was fantastic.

I started on chemotherapy in January 2013 but I moved on to take part in a clinical trial in Newcastle at the end of January. This involved weekly trips to Newcastle. Unfortunately this wasn't working so it has now finished and I am back onto the chemotherapy again.

My condition is now deteriorating and I am now in a wheelchair but I’m determined to live life to the full and enjoy every moment.

I will use this page to record all the adventures I get up to, in hospital and out. Hopefully it can show and raise awareness of the good and bad times that a teenager travelling along their cancer journey goes though."

 

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