A Leicestershire schoolgirl has been honoured with a British Citizen Youth Award for her work as a cancer advocate.
A former cancer patient herself, Alyssa Tapley was honoured for her work as an advocate for cancer research and children’s cancer, raising awareness and support for others.
Picture credit: British Citizen Awards
She was presented with a BCYM Medal of Honour at the Palace of Westminster, where the official presentation was held.
Alyssa underwent pioneering treatment with no guarantee of success, stating that it would help others in the future, even if it did not help her.
In 2021, aged 12, she was diagnosed with T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia. Following intensive chemotherapy, she went for her first bone marrow transplant. This did not have a positive result, and in 2022 the family were given the devastating news that all conventional medicines and treatments had now failed, and the option was palliative care.
Alyssa’s consultant then found a ‘base editing Car T’ trial being carried out by Great Ormond Street Hospital, an un-tested treatment with an unknown outcome. Alyssa faced the choice of spending her last few weeks at home with her family, or being in hospital with only one parent, whilst going through intensive treatment. She understood that she might die but chose the pioneering treatment.
Luckily the treatment was successful and Alyssa is now an advocate for cancer research, GOSH and children’s cancer, sharing her story to raise awareness and support others.
She has since worked closely with Blood Cancer UK raising funds to enable their work to continue. Alyssa is a member of the Young Person’s Advisory Group and involved in many aspects of research at GOSH, helping to make it more children and young people friendly.
Dame Mary Perkins, Patron of the BCA said: “The British Citizen Youth Award recipients are very special individuals. These young people all go above and beyond for others with selfless acts of kindness and community spirit with no thought or expectation of praise or reward. This medal ceremony is a great opportunity to shine a light on what they do and give them the recognition they so thoroughly deserve. They are the nation’s true unsung heroes and the rising stars of the future.”
