20 December 2023 , 09:46
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Standing at the front of the class, a then 10-year-old Venus Hinds looked out at the faces of her fellow pupils, took a deep breath and began.
“Dear Class… How are you all? I just wanted to let you know that I am currently going through a very tough time. I have lost some weight and the hospital team says that if I lose any more weight I may need to have a feeding tube. When all of the hospital appointments are finished in 18 months’ time, all of my hair will grow back. All of this makes me feel very self-conscious. Please be kind to me as a few harsh words can make me feel sad.”
Just five months earlier, in January 2021, Venus was diagnosed with a brain tumour after struggling with her sight for months. Following an MRI scan, Venus was sent to hospital to begin her 85-week chemotherapy course. Venus also lost her hair before taking the bold move to cut off the rest of her once “thick afro”.
Venus Hinds with her proud father Rob (Eddie Mitchell)Her father Rob says: “It was just upsetting because she knew she had big beautiful hair.” Devastated by the loss, Venus, now 12, from Denton, East Sussex, turned to beanie hats to hide it. Despite her difficulties and missing months of school, Venus wanted to share her story.
Rob says: “I said to her, ‘Why don’t you write a letter?’ I said her teacher could read it out but Venus said she wanted to go into her class and read it.”
Baby boy has spent his life in hospital as doctors are 'scared' to discharge him
He added Venus’s decision to ditch her beanie hat when going to school was a turning point. Rob says: “I think that’s when I saw her change and she started to think, ‘I’ve got an illness but I’m still going to continue doing what I love to do’. Even if I read this letter now it still brings me to tears.”
Venus started a YouTube channel to help others and after finishing her chemo on October 8, she has since returned to school with renewed confidence.
Rob says: “She’s been a massive inspiration to us.” This year, the family hope to give Venus a special Christmas by taking her to a festive-themed forest.
The Mirror's Christmas AppealShe is one of many young people diagnosed with cancer every year who spend their holidays in treatment.
This year, the Mirror Christmas Appeal is raising funds for Young Lives vs Cancer. Your donations to the charity can help cover parents’ financial costs as well as providing emotional support as children receive chemotherapy.
How to donate
Just a small donation could make a world of difference to a young person living with cancer.
- £5 could help pay for parking and petrol, so young people with cancer, and their families, can get to hospital for vital treatment without worrying about the cost.
- £10 could pay towards a Young Lives vs Cancer crisis grant for families struggling with the cost of living.
- £20 could pay for a coat for a child or young person with cancer to help keep them warm through the winter months when they really feel the cold due to treatment.
- £24 would pay for one hour of a specialist Young Lives vs Cancer social worker’s time, so that children and young people with cancer, and their families, get the right care and support at the right time.
- £38 could pay for a child with cancer’s family to stay overnight in one of Young Lives vs Cancer’s Homes from Home, providing free self-catering accommodation near to specialist children’s cancer hospitals.