TWO courageous and deserving girls will switch on Barrow's Christmas Lights this evening (18).

Brave Barrow girls, Emily Mather, four, and Aimee Robinson, 12, have been selected to switch on the festive lights on Saturday November 18.

The Barrow Christmas Lights Switch-On is to star Kevin Simm, the winner of The Voice 2016, and a host of local talent in Town Square from 3pm until 6.30pm.

Barrow to experience spectacular Christmas party at festive lights switch-on

Both Emily and Aimee have bravely fought cancer, faced gruelling treatments and spent weeks and months in hospital.


Emily amazes everyone with her strength and determination

Emily has battled an ependymoma brain tumour since January. She had 15 hour surgery at The Royal Manchester Children's Hospital in an attempt to remove the tumour. A small amount of the tumour remained and Emily was very poorly. She lost the ability to swallow, lost mobility and her speech was affected, and she would have to learn to do these everyday things again.

She also had to have emergency surgery to drain fluid from her brain. Emily had chemotherapy in attempt to shrink her tumour in hope that a further surgery would be possible to remove it all. The youngster went to Alder Hey Children's Hospital for the delicate surgery. Her family then received the news that she could go to America for revolutionary proton therapy. Emily would spend 11 weeks in Jacksonville for the radiation treatment.

Emily’s latest scan has showed no growth compared with the scan she had before surgery and she is stable.

She continues to get stronger and amazes everyone with her strength and determination. Emily started Reception class at Newbarns Primary School and has been doing this part time.


Aimee takes everything in her stride, and does everything with a smile.

Aimee was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia in January 2016. She had numerous rounds of chemotherapy, blood and platelet transfusions at The Royal Manchester Children's Hospital. She spent a lot of time in hospital during these months and picked up infections, bugs and was poorly. Then in June 2016 she went into remission. But her family were given the the devastating news that she had relapsed, and she was re-admitted into hospital in Autumn 2016 to undergo more chemotherapy to try and get the leukaemia under control. The first round of chemotherapy failed, but another form of the treatment worked and Aimee got home for Christmas 2016.

In January Aimee underwent a cord blood transplant from a donor in Australia. This worked and Aimee was discharged from hospital in early March, but this was only for a couple of nights as Aimee become really unwell. She was re-admitted and spent a further 107 days in hospital battling severe GVHD, as her body was fighting against the new bone marrow.

Aimee battled through again and she was able to finish the last few weeks of primary school at St James' CE Junior School and then start seniors at Furness Academy in September.

Aimee has taken everything in her stride, and does everything with a smile.


Strong and beautiful young girls

Both families know each other and are delighted that the girls are getting this honour.

Ellen Mather, Emily's mum said: "It's been a very tough year, but Emily just gets on with things, She is very determined.

"It's so nice for both the girls to be doing the switch-on and showing the strength of these two girls."

Aimee said: "I'm very excited about switching on the Christmas lights. Emily is a little superstar and it will be lovely to share the stage with her."

The switch-on is being run by Barrow-based Ultimate Events UK along with a group of volunteers. Beth Horan from the organising team, said: "Emily and Aimee are both local girls who are going through their own personal battles but are showing how much super strength they have to keep on battling. They are strong and beautiful young girls and I am very humbled to have them take part in this event and be given the honour of switching on the Christmas lights for Barrow this year."