Eight-year-old cancer survivor Sophie Bryan helps other children beat the disease

Sophie Bryan has been recognised for her fighting spirit, and helping Camp Quality raise money to help other children with cancer.

WHEN eight-year-old cancer survivor Sophie Bryan’s hair fell out during chemotherapy, her classmates bullied her at school.

But rather than let nasty names get to her, the Evanston Park youngster decided to stand up for herself and other children with cancer.

Camp Quality was so impressed with Sophie’s spirit it chose the eight year old to be the face of its 2013 national Christmas appeal, which raised $70,000 for its touring puppet show.

The show teaches primary school students how to be supportive and understanding of young people with cancer.

Sophie was diagnosed with lymphoblastic leukaemia in September 2012 and her mother Kelly said when she returned to school six months later, students made fun of her because she looked different.

“She had no hair at the time so she was wearing beanies to school and a couple of kids would pull her beanies off and make fun of her, call her names, which was really hard for her,” Mrs Bryan said.

“When you’ve gone through all the treatment that she’s had to deal with leading up to going back to school, she didn’t need the extra stress of her friends making comments.”

Mrs Bryan said Camp Quality stepped in to help by staging one of its puppet shows at Sophie’s school, Gawler and District College.

“From that day on she didn’t wear a beanie to school because she felt a lot more comfortable and she didn’t have any trouble with the kids anymore,” Mrs Bryan said.

“It made the kids realise that it wasn’t contagious and it wasn’t something that would affect them and that she was still Sophie.”

Sophie’s story was used during the Camp Quality Christmas campaign to raise money for the organisation and awareness of childhood cancer.

Her brave efforts also prompted Camp Quality public relations manager Gary Nunn to nominate her for a 2014 Pride of Australia award in the Child of Courage category.

Sophie said the nomination was “good, because it’s exciting”.

Mrs Bryan said Sophie had been “bouncing off the walls” since she was told of her nomination.

“I don’t think she really understands it but she thinks it’s great,” Mr Bryan said.

The nomination period for this year’s Pride of Australia Awards has been extended until Sunday (August 3). For more details, or to nominate someone, click here.

Finalists will be announced in October.