Teenager from Woodbridge stars in brain tumour charity campaign
Camille from Woodbridge is a 10 year brain tumour survivor - Credit: Katie Drouet Photography
A teenage girl from Woodbridge is starring in a leading children’s brain tumour charity's Seven Wishes for Christmas Campaign.
Camille Shave, 14, has received support from Tom's Trust since being diagnosed with an ependymoma brain tumour aged two.
The charity offers support to children and their families for their mental health and wellbeing.
The campaign features seven children and their Christmas wishes - Camille's is to “be more independent and do things by myself”.
“Camille had her clear 10-year MRI scan in February earlier this year,” said mum, Hayley.
"She has some disabilities that are relating to the radiotherapy she had to her brain. She had that when she was three. So, she has the mental ability of a seven to eight-year-old.
Camille poses for mum, Hayley, at their Woodbridge home - Credit: Hayley Shave
“Camille loves arts and crafts. Literally every night when she comes home from school, she’s at the table painting, sticking, gluing and making all sorts of creative objects.
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“She loves school. She’s in full-time mainstream education but she does have an SEN one-to-one with her all the time.
“Next year, she’ll start her GCSEs which she’s really excited about. She’s not doing the same GCSEs that her sister is, because of the brain injury, but she’s determined to do them. She's really loving child care at the moment. That’s what she’d like to end up doing, being a nursery nurse. And she’ll be awesome.”
However, what Camille wants right now is to be able to do more things without the supervision of her parents.
“At the moment, we don’t have the support in place that she can leave the house on her own,” said Hayley.
“But she kind of knows what she’s capable of and what she’s not capable of and she will work around that to get to where she needs to be.
"Even before she was ill, she could always put a smile on someone’s face, and I think she realises that and appreciates it and I think as she gets older, it’s something she’s going to equip herself with, hopefully, to live a bit more of an independent life.”
The campaign is running until December 7. If the trust can raise £5,000, their backers will bring the total up to £10,000.
