Inspiring Blackwood teen wins courage award for determination

Eden Lewis, 18, from Blackwood, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in July 2020, when doctors revealed she had a 13 cm tumour in her right thigh and lung metastasis.

She completed her first lot of treatment, and her surgery was successful to remove the tumour from her thigh, before further metastasis were discovered in her lungs, including a golf-ball sized tumour in her foot.

Eden was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in July 2020, with the diagnosis turning terminal in March 2022 (Image: Tess Lewis) These tumours resulted in Eden being put on a different chemotherapy course, only for the family to be told the heartbreaking news in March 2022 the cancer was terminal. 

With months to live, she was put on a new drug called cabozantinib following a thoracotomy, designed to give her more time. 

Despite her situation, Eden refused to give up and went on to complete her GCSEs, achieving five Bs and Cs, going onto begin a course in animal care at Usk College.

After a year of being on the cabozantinib, Eden decided that the side effects were tough on her and giving her a poor quality of life.

She decided that she would rather live a short life without the side effects, rather than a longer life and struggle to get through each day, choosing quality over quantity.

Eden has two younger siblings who she dotes on (Image: Tess Lewis) This is something she has continued to do, recently declining further surgery to remove the met on her right lung.

The 13+ Child of Courage award at The Child of Wales Awards marks Eden’s second courage award, after she was also awarded the Pride of Gwent Courage Award two years ago.

Eden’s mother Tess said: “Even after all she has been through, she doesn’t give up on anything, and I am so incredibly proud of her for that.

“Eden didn't have to continue her education, and worry about college, yet she did. 

“She’s done all this whilst planning her own funeral, believing she was going to die in the near future.”

Eden celebrated her award with a number of celebrities, including Gethin Jones (Image: Tess Lewis) Knowing that Eden had chosen quality of life over quantity was “incredibly difficult” for Tess, but she is still so proud of her daughter, for whom education and volunteering have been a distraction. 

She added: “I nominated her for the Child of Wales Award for Courage, as I felt she deserved the recognition of how inspiring she is and to hopefully inspire others in her situation to try their hardest to keep going.”

Eden has recently taken up pole dancing with her mum to try and build up her upper body strength (Image: Tess Lewis) Eden has now recently started her third year at college and continues to make her mother proud every day.