An Edinburgh schoolgirl who used her cancer diagnosis as a springboard to support other young patients has been recognised for her “positivity and selflessness” at an event at Buckingham Palace.
Rosa Ross, 14, was one of seven young people recognised at the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award charity’s annual This is Youth celebration in November, which saw her invited to tea with the duke and a host of celebrities.
Rosa, who attends Trinity Academy in Edinburgh, was diagnosed with stage four non-Hodgkin lymphoma – a cancer of the lymphatic system – in January 2024.
Her singing teacher had noticed an abnormality in her breathing, and she went on to experience a high fever, extreme chest pain and shortness of breath, which turned out to be caused by a “fist-sized tumour” pushing on her heart and lungs.
She underwent four cycles of treatment as an inpatient, each involving eight days of chemotherapy, immunotherapy, steroids and operations, before continuing to receive further treatment as an outpatient.
Rosa, who had been four months into her Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) bronze award when she received her diagnosis, said she was determined to make “something good” come out of her experience.
Rosa (centre) helped to organise activities to support other young people going through cancer treatment (Rosa Ross/PA)
She decided to continue with her DofE in spite of her illness, and completed part of her award by supporting other young people going through similar treatment in hospital.
She helped organise ward activities to bring them together, and offered support to those worried about hair loss – all while undergoing weeks of intensive treatment herself.
“I had the mindset of, if I have to go through this horrible experience there must be something good to come out of it,” she said.
“I could see how much going through cancer treatment absolutely sucks and if I could do anything to make it a tiny bit easier for the other young people, just a tiny smile or a laugh, I wanted to.
“It meant I could enjoy aspects of my time, while also helping others.
Edward with the Derbyshire police cadets recognised for their efforts (Aaron Chown/PA)
“I’d support the staff by going and having a chat with any young people who were worried about losing their hair.
“I could give a first-hand perspective and say ‘yes, it’s terrible, but when it comes back it looks like this’.
“I’d let them try on things like a fun pink wig and a headband that looks like hair, or my wig. I think it makes it less scary.
“I was losing my hair at the same time, so it felt like we were in it together.
“One of the kids left me a note saying thank you and signed it ‘from your new friend’, which meant a lot.”
Rosa Ross said she went into her treatment with the mindset that ‘there must be something good’ to come out of the experience (Rosa Ross/PA)
Rosa also used her physiotherapy sessions to continue her singing as part of the “skills” section of her award.
“My lungs had partially collapsed with treatment, so part of my physio was blowing bubbles to try and encourage my lungs to work,” she said.
“We used to sing a lot of Taylor Swift – it was the highlight of my week and really good for increasing my lung capacity.
“I had to have nasal oxygen and I was sleeping sitting upright as the tumour was pressing on my lungs, so it was definitely a challenge.”
Rosa was named boundary breaker of the year at the This is Youth celebration in recognition of her “resilience and selfless determination”.
Awards judge Jodie Ounsley, better known as Fury from TV show Gladiators, described Rosa as a “shining example” of what the award was about.
“Rosa’s determination and resilience are among the reasons she stood out to me as this year’s boundary breaker of the year winner,” she said.
“Receiving a cancer diagnosis is tough no matter your age and I am in complete awe of her positivity and selflessness during this time of her life.
“Rosa’s positivity knows no bounds and to hear how that positivity, coupled with her DofE, has brought young people together, reducing isolation and providing reassurance, makes her a shining example of what This is Youth boundary breaker of the year stands for.”
Rosa said of her award: “It’s really amazing. I just wasn’t expecting it at all. I was very surprised when I found out and I still wake up sometimes thinking ‘wow’.”
Dora Abbi, 17, from Reading, was recognised for her volunteering work at Royal Berkshire Hospital (Aaron Chown/PA)
Now in its second year, the Duke of Edinburgh charity’s This Is Youth recognises the stories behind the DofE Awards, its half a million participants and nearly 40,000 volunteers, and celebrates the things young people achieve and the dedication of the adults who support them.
The six other winners are:
– All-stars of the Year: Clarissa Kershaw, Amelie Parkin, Rosie O’Driscoll, Bethan Jenkins, Emilia Preece and Terri Lincoln, a group of Derbyshire police cadets aged 14-15 whose DofE preparations and training potentially saved Teri’s life when she collapsed during their expedition.
– Change-maker of the Year: Dora Abbi, 17, from Reading, who organises care packages for patients at the Royal Berkshire Hospital and is a member of its youth forum, as well as volunteering at a local care home and food bank.
– Trailblazer of the Year: Harry Jones, 18, from Great Missenden, near High Wycombe, who has overcome speech and language difficulties to complete his Gold Award.
– Innovator of the Year: Josh Ellicott, 17, from Bodmin, Cornwall, who designs recycled fabric clothing.
– Life Changer of the Year: Daniel Evans-Tomkinson, 41, from Bolton, who has given young people with special educational needs life-changing opportunities through the DofE, building important life-long skills and helping some achieve independence they did not think possible.
– Torchbearer of the Year: Lisa Waring, 50, from Stone, Staffordshire, who has been supporting young people with their DofE expeditions for 27 years.