Member of the Month October 2025

On the 30th of December 2024, five-year-old Mia was taken to A&E with what initially seemed like a routine stomach bug and persistent abdominal pain. However, after several tests and an ultrasound, her family received news no parent is ever prepared for, Mia had a tumour on her left kidney. Doctors suspected a Wilms tumour, a rare kidney cancer most commonly found in children.

That moment marked the beginning of a journey that would change Mia and her family's lives forever.

What followed were countless hospital visits, overnight stays, MRIs, CT scans, X-rays, the insertion of a Hickman line, multiple NG tubes, and bouts of extreme sickness. Most daunting of all was the chemotherapy; a treatment that brings with it a range of side effects that are impossible to fully grasp until experienced firsthand.

In just a few short months, Mia endured more than most children, or adults, will in a lifetime. These are the kinds of stories many see shared on social media or portrayed on television, but living through it is something entirely different. It feels like a nightmare you can't wake up from.

Yet, throughout everything, Mia has displayed extraordinary courage. Even in the darkest moments, she has continued to dance, sing, and smile. She is a beacon of light and resilience in the face of uncertainty.

Then, on the 9th of October, after six long months of chemotherapy and surgery earlier in the year, Mia rang the bell, marking the end of her cancer treatment!

The road has been long and challenging, and while the journey is not over, Mia and her family are beginning to adjust to a new kind of normal. Each day is a step forward, a chance to rebuild strength and rediscover joy in life’s smallest moments.

Her story is one of incredible bravery, love, hope, and a reminder of just how strong children can be.

'Thank you, Beads of Courage, for giving these children something to be proud of.'