Evelina London patient wins WellChild Award
Posted on Tuesday 4th October 2016
Myzat Mugomba meeting Prince Harry at the award ceremony in London. Photo by Thousand Word Media Ltd.
Evelina London patient Myzat Mugomba collected a prestigious WellChild Award at a star-studded event in London on Monday (3 October).
Evelina London nurse, Laura Duffell, nominated Myzat, 5, from Peckham, who has Spinal Muscular Atrophy type 2 and breathes with the aid of a tracheostomy. Myzat was picked from hundreds of nominations from across the UK to win the category of Inspirational Child, presented by WellChild’s Royal Patron Prince Harry.
The WellChild Awards celebrate the courage of children coping with serious illnesses or complex conditions. They honour the dedication of health professionals who go the extra mile to help sick children and their families.
Despite spending months of her short life in hospital, having little muscle tone so she uses a wheelchair, and needing to be ventilated 24 hours a day to breathe, Myzat is an incredibly happy, outgoing little girl. She has fought against overwhelming odds to be strong enough to attend mainstream school at which she participates fully and with great zest for life. She is at the heart of her family and adores playing fashion games with her three older sisters, Mistura, Fathia and Faridah.
Laura Duffell, Myzat’s continuing care nurse, says: “Every single professional who comes into contact with Myzat is struck by her strength of character and positive attitude. I am so proud to know her and to witness how she takes on each challenge that comes her way. I hope winning a WellChild Award will help her to understand how very proud we all are of her and her achievements.”
Speaking at the awards ceremony, Prince Harry said: “This is now my ninth WellChild awards and each year at this remarkable event, I am profoundly moved by the people I have met and the stories they have shared with me.
“It is one of those moments in life when you are left in awe at the strength of human character, particularly amongst those so young. Watching these children and young people face challenges with such determination, positivity and good humour, never fails to take my breath away."
Hosts for the night were Dick and Dom and Gaby Roslin and Awards were presented by, among others, Sir Rod Stewart with his son Alastair, Ashley Banjo and Perri Kiely from Diversity, Olympic swimming legend, Mark Foster and Ollie Locke and Spencer Matthews from Made in Chelsea.
The Awards are run by WellChild, the national charity for seriously ill children.
Watch a film about Myzat's story and why she won the Inspirational Child Award.