Young writer Amelia’s story is an inspiration to all ages B
romsgrove youngster Amelia will become a published author using just her eyes. The inspirational seven-year-old, who is currently non-verbal, channelled her creativity through cue cards to curate a mini-saga which is due to be published in an upcoming Young Writers anthology.
Amelia was diagnosed with Hypoxicischemic encephalopathy (HIE) at birth, a type of brain damage occurring in newborn babies resulting from a shortage of oxygen and blood flow to the brain. She was in intensive care for six weeks shortly after coming into the world and the prognosis wasn’t hopeful. “She wouldn’t know who we were and wouldn’t know herself in the world,” Amelia’s mother Natalie explained. After giving birth to Amelia, Natalie wasn’t able to see her new baby daughter for 17 days, “They told me it was dangerous to hope; at that moment, my world fell apart,” she recalled. Fast forward to the present day and Amelia is a beacon of light and happiness. She uses a wheelchair to navigate and can communicate with visual cues provided by her parents. When Amelia entered her story The Woods into the Young Writers’ A Wander in the Woods competition, her parents had no idea. Beaming with pride, Amelia came home one day with a talent for writing certificate in hand. “Amelia has shown us there is hope and that it’s not dangerous to have hope,” said Natalie. “It’s that hope that sparked things in our family to
8 Completely Bromsgrove
encourage Amelia to be the best possible version of herself.” Amelia’s mini-saga will now be published in an upcoming anthology and therefore kept in The British Library for eternity. Her journey is truly inspirational and symbolises overcoming odds and achieving incredible feats. Everyone at Completely Bromsgrove wishes Amelia and her family well for the future. A full interview with Amelia’s mum Natalie can be found at: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=G5hi1WO_BAY&t=16s
