A SCHOOLGIRL who amazed doctors with her gymnastic tricks while being treated for a rare and advanced form of cancer has been recognised with a national award.

Twelve months ago, Maya Mason from Redditch, now six, was diagnosed with a soft tissue cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma after experiencing stomach pains.

Doctors initially thought she’d pulled a muscle doing gymnastics when in fact she had a large tumour growing in her chest wall.

Now, for the courage she has shown throughout her treatment, she has received a Cancer Research UK for Children & Young People Star Award, in partnership with TK Maxx. She was nominated for the award by her mum Hollie O’Connor.

As well as a star-shaped trophy, Maya, also received a £50 TK Maxx gift card, a t-shirt and a certificate signed by the celebrities. Her brother Theo, aged 12, received a certificate too.

Maya, who attends Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic First School, was admitted to Worcester Royal Infirmary in January last year with suspected pneumonia after stomach ache symptoms worsened, and doctors found fluid on her chest.

Her mum Hollie said: “Antibiotics didn’t work, so the doctor listened to her chest and sent us for an x-ray.”

“They found one side of her chest was completely covered with fluid. Based on the x-ray, they said she should be in intensive care but, unbelievably, she was still colouring and behaving normally.”

Redditch Advertiser: Maya MasonMaya Mason (Image: Cancer Research UK)

Maya was taken from Worcester Royal Infirmary to Birmingham Children’s Hospital where doctors informed Hollie and dad Jordan that she had a large tumour in her chest wall.

“I just remember Maya asking, ‘what’s wrong mummy?’” said Hollie. “I had to tell her I was feeling poorly and then she started wiping tears from my face saying, ‘it’s ok’. She was comforting me.”

Maya began an intense course of chemotherapy as part of a Cancer Research UK funded clinical trial comparing different treatment regimens for Rhabdomyosarcoma.

“The first few weeks of treatment were hard, and she was quite sick, but the hospital staff were amazing,” Hollie said.

“I struggled to cope with her going onto the cancer ward at first, but it wasn’t a sad atmosphere, it was the total opposite. By the end of it, Maya was running around with the other kids, and we’d get chocolate and popcorn and watch a movie in the playroom. She made some beautiful friends".

After being discharged, Maya soon got into a routine with her treatment and even took losing her hair in her stride after she got it cut short alongside her mum.

In July she spent six weeks in Manchester having proton beam therapy – a highly targeted form of radiotherapy that blitzes tumours with minimal damage to healthy tissue.

“While we were in Manchester the consultant said he had to check he had the right child because her scans were so good,” added Hollie.

“He couldn’t believe it was the same little girl who was jumping around and doing gymnastics in the ward.”

Maya is now on maintenance chemotherapy which she will continue on until the end of summer this year. Meanwhile, she’s started back at school and is continuing her gymnastics.

People can nominate inspirational children like Maya for a Star Award now on the Cancer Research UK website.