An Ormiston Ilkeston Enterprise Academy student who lost her dad to a brain tumour was celebrating her GCSE results today.
Evie Young, 16, from Ilkeston, was choosing her GCSE options when her dad, Andrew, died at the age of 52 after years of fighting a brain tumour.
Despite this, Evie set about focusing on her school work and also co-ordinated fundraising activity for Treetops Hospice, where her dad received care.
Today all her hard work paid off when she collected her results, receiving the equivalent of five B grades and five C grades.
She said: “I was speechless when I opened them. I really wasn’t expecting to pass them all. I answered every single question in all my exams and then you just hope you’ve done enough. I knew I’d done my best.
“I’m really proud of what I have achieved. I pushed myself and put everything into it. I know my dad would be so proud of me. I did this for him too and to show everyone who knew what I’d been through that I could do it.
“I will really miss school and the support I had. It has been so friendly and they really encourage you but I am looking forward to the next step now.”
Evie is now going on to do her A levels and has ambitions of becoming a Science or PE teacher.
Mum Gillian Young said: “I’m so pleased for her as she worked so hard. She really struggled after Andrew died especially with her memory – she almost had to start from scratch in terms of her school work.
“Andrew died two and a half years ago and they were both really close and had such a strong bond. In many ways she has done this for him and I know he would be so proud.
“We picture him being sat on a cloud jumping up and down and celebrating. School have been really good with her and everyone really responded to the fundraising activities and it really helped Evie to do that.
“She has shown great focus and determination and I’m so glad for her and want her to achieve whatever she wants so she is happy.”