Riley and Jamie nominated for Community Pride awards (From York Press)

Riley Plant and Jamie Inglis nominated for Community Pride awards

8:15am Wednesday 25th July 2012 in News By Kate Liptrot, kate.liptrot@thepress.co.uk

TWO young cancer sufferers whose courage and cheerfulness is an inspiration to their family and friends have been nominated for Community Pride awards.

Six-year-old Jamie Inglis and 18-month-old Riley Plant have both been nominated for the Child Of The Year award, which recognises children who have overcome an adversity or faced up with courage to life’s hardships and challenges.

Jamie is battling the childhood cancer neuroblastoma for the second time, which has seen him temporarily unable to walk due to a tumour and undergo radio and chemotherapy. He is due to have further pioneering treatment in Germany next month for which his family need to raise £250,000.

Nominating him, Jane King, teaching assistant at Lord Deramore’s Primary School in Heslington , said: “Jamie is always smiling and can make others smile despite his battle against neuroblastoma. “He brightens everyone’s day when he is able to come and spend time with us in school.”

His dad, John, said: “I think it’s Jamie’s courage in adversity – when most of us would be knocked for six he picks himself up. When he was first diagnosed in March he could not walk as his tumour caused him to be paralysed. He has taught himself to run and walk again – two or three months ago he was almost like a coma victim.

“He never complains or cries when he goes into hospital when he knows the chemo is going to make him sick.

“To go through this a second time must be hugely demoralising, but he takes it in his stride and that spirits us on.”

Riley has also shown incredible bravery, remaining happy and cheerful despite gruelling treatment.

Riley was diagnosed with a brain tumour in April and doctors have now said there is no further treatment he can receive, after cancer cells were discovered during a recent operation to remove fluid from his brain.

Last week, he attended the wedding of his parents, Gavin, 24, and Lindsay, 25, from Burnholme, which was brought forward to ensure he could be there.

Nominating him as child of the year, his grandmother, Simone Potter, said: “He has had every side affect going that the chemotherapy has and has spent 90 per cent of his life in hospital since April, but he still continues to smile and laugh even though he is weak and feeling ill.

“He loves books and music and gigs along at every opportunity.”

The Community Pride Awards, which will have a York 800 theme this year, are run in partnership with City of York Council and sponsored by Benenden Healthcare.