Cambridgeshire teen honoured with National Award after cancer “stole her Christmas”

A Cambridgeshire schoolgirl who felt cancer “stole her Christmas” last year has been recognised with a prestigious national award celebrating the courage of young people facing the disease.

Seventeen‑year‑old Nalia James‑Defreitas,from Cambridgeshire, was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a type of soft‑tissue cancer, in August 2024 at just 15-years-old.

After a year of treatment, she has now been presented with a Cancer Research UK for Children & Young People Star Award.

The awards, supported by well‑known names including children’s author Joseph Coelho, US entertainerJoJo Siwa, pop star Pixie Lott, TV doctor Dr Ranj, and children’s favourite Mister Maker.

There is no judging panel because the charity believes every child diagnosed with cancer deserves special recognition. The awards are open to all under 18s who live in the UK and have been treated for the disease within the past five years.*

Alongside her star‑shaped trophy, Nalia received a £50 TK Maxx gift card,** a t‑shirt and a certificate signed by the celebrity supporters. Her brothers Ellis (13) and Jude (2) also received certificates.

Nalia’s mother, Kelly (44), described the shock of her daughter’s diagnosis after what initially appeared to be a simple abscess.

“She had a boil that went from the size of a pea to a golf ball,” she said. “After two months of wound dressing changes and two A&E visits, it still wasn’t healing. When the surgeon said they’d found something else, we had no idea it would be cancer.”

The family endured an agonising wait for results. “Nalia broke down in tears, thinking she was going to die,” Kelly said. “We were both crying when we left.”

Around 55 children in the UK are diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma -a type of cancer that affects particular types of muscle cells- each year.

Nalia immediately began chemotherapy and joined the FaR‑RMS trial, which is investigating improved treatment combinations for rhabdomyosarcoma. She underwent nine rounds of chemotherapy in Cambridge and six weeks of high‑dose proton beam therapy in London—scheduled over Christmas period

“Last Christmas didn’t feel like Christmas at all,” Nalia said. “I was tired, away from my friends, and treatment continued the next day. We tried to make the best of it, but it wasn’t home.”

The family remained together in London throughout the treatment period, celebrating an early Christmas before travelling back and forth between the city and their home in Peterborough.

A year on, Nalia is now on the final stage of the trial, receiving two years of maintenance treatment. Her tumour has gone, and she has returned to her favourite sport, netball.

“In some ways it’s harder now,” Kelly said. “During treatment everything was scheduled. Now we’re feeling the impact of what’s happened. We’re just looking forward to a normal Christmas together.”

Nalia added: “This year will be much calmer. I want to go ice‑skating, visit Christmas markets and go to the panto. I’m really looking forward to having a turkey dinner at home and playing games with my family. I would have given anything for a normal Christmas last year.”

Kelly nominated her daughter for the Star Award as a way to acknowledge her strength.

“She’s handled everything brilliantly for someone so young,” she said. “We’re so proud of her, and she’s proud of herself when she looks at her award.”

There are around 380 new cancer cases in children and young people in theEast of England NHS region every year.*** but new discoveries and breakthroughs are leading to more effective and less toxic treatments.

In the East of England The Cancer Research UK Cambridge Centre unites more than 1,000 scientists and clinicians from Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the University of Cambridge, independent research institutes and pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries in the Cambridge area.

One of the research themes at the centre is investigating children’s and young people’s cancers. Teams in the centre work across the research pipeline, from understanding more about how these cancers start and progress to developing and testing new treatments for children and young people.

Thanks to vital work like this, children’s cancer survival in the UK has more than doubled since the 1970s.****

But the Star Awards help shine a light on the unique challenges still faced by children like Nalia.

Cancer Research UK spokesperson for the East of England, Patrick Keely, said: “We’re committed to driving forward progress to ensure more children and young people can live longer, better lives, free from the fear of cancer.

"After everything Nalia's been through, it’s been an absolute privilege to celebrate her incredible courage with a Star Award.

“A cancer diagnosis is heart-breaking at any age, but it can be particularly difficult for youngsters - especially when many may experience life-long side effects from their treatment. That’s why we’re funding dedicated research to find new and better ways to beat this devastating disease.

“The Star Awards are a wonderful way to give these extraordinary children the special recognition they truly deserve, so we hope people in Cambridgeshire get nominating now.”