Charlie Williams, from Sudbury UK was just five years old when he was diagnosed with the brain tumour medulloblastoma in May 2005.
He had months of treatment at the Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, UK, including a seven hour operation, radiotherapy twice a day for five weeks and a year of chemotherapy.
He missed two years of education at Boxford Primary School and suffered numerous setbacks, including meningitis, but he caught up again and completed two years at Suffolk College studying IT, passing with distinction.
In July 2020, Charlie celebrated his 21st birthday with his family and friends. It was a very special day for Charlie because, not only was it a milestone birthday, it was also a time to reflect on how much he had achieved in his life.
Mum Beverley said: “This investment in children’s brain tumour research is great news and will hopefully pave the way for better, kinder treatments for youngsters like Charlie.
“We’re so proud of Charlie and hope in the future that every family affected by a brain tumour gets a happy ending.”
Looking back on his cancer journey, Charlie said: “Cancer is a horrible disease that effects people personally but also all the people around them in so many different ways, mentally, physically and emotionally. It’s only now that I’m older that I can understand how my cancer impacted so many different people. I remember, my radiotherapy, my chemotherapy, numerous operations, both MRI and CT scans but it was something I just got on with, that was the normality for me back then.”
