MILA SNEDDON

ENCOURAGES THE NATION TO JUMP ON THEIR SCOOTERS FOR A GOOD CAUSE

The little princess who persuaded the Duchess of Cambridge to wear pink – and how to help her wish come true

When five-year-old Mila Sneddon met the Duchess of Cambridge earlier this year, it was a moving moment for them both.

The little girl, who has a rare form of blood cancer, had been chosen to feature in Kate’s Hold Still photography project, which documented the nation’s life during lockdown. When they finally met face to face in May at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, Kate kept a promise she’d made in a video call to wear pink, much to Mila’s delight.

A strong bond was formed, which has not only enriched Mila’s life but also helped her on the road to recovery, including launching her own charity campaign Scoot in September, which encourages people to raise funds and awareness for Blood Cancer UK by posting pictures of themselves and loved ones on scooters.

Mila, described by her proud mother Lynda as “independent, strong, energetic, impulsive and confident”, has already raised more than £4,500 and is hoping to boost this figure by

‘ I went to school and I was standing at the gates crying as there were hundreds of kids on their scooters. Amazing’

enlisting the support of Prince Louis, after Kate told her he, too, is fond of scootering. “Although there’s no pressure for anyone to get involved!” her mum hastily tells hello!.

The royal link was forged after Kate chose the moving image of Mila kissing a window at their home in Stenhousemuir, Falkirk with dad Scott on the other side, as one of 100 images for her best-selling book.

Scott, a service engineer, and Mila’s older sister Jodi, 17, moved out of the family home for seven weeks during lockdown last year while Mila, who has undergone intensive chemotherapy treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia since being diagnosed in November 2019, was shielding. Inviting hello! to their home, Lynda, who works for her local authority, says: “I can’t put i n t o w o r d s how remarkable the Duchess of Cambridge has been.

“She was so caring and considerate. I got a real sense of her being a mother in the way she spoke to Mila. There were challenges, because of all the Covid restrictions and masks, but she said she wanted to give Mila a big, squeezy hug.”

The impact of the visit, Lynda believes, will resonate for years to come. “I think any kid that can get the chance to go to a proper palace and experience what Mila experienced is significant.”

The day was also important in terms of how Mila felt about her illness. “The recognition [ she received] has impacted on what Mila is doing now because the [interest in] the campaign is hugely down to the Duke and Duchess,” says Lynda.

Mila was thrilled to be treated like a princess. Having mentioned that she was hungry during her conversation with the Duchess, she was asked if she’d like anything to eat. “I thought: ‘ This is a golden opportunity – you’re in a palace, you can get something lovely,’ but Mila asked for Rice Krispies,” says Lynda, laughing. “So they sent in a butler with a silver platter, silver bowl and silver jug. I told her: ‘You’re going to come down to earth with a huge bump when we get home and you ask for your Rice Krispies tomorrow.’”

Mila left with a souvenir of the day – a trinket box, on which it was engraved: “I am always with you. Be brave, have courage, and love life.”

TOUGH BATTLE

Lynda is hoping that the campaign will help raise awareness of the illness, the symptoms of which can be missed, as well as raise funds for more research into its treatment, which can be brutal.

Mila has chemotherapy at home every night and goes to hospital every four weeks to have IV chemotherapy, and again every 12 weeks for spinal chemotherapy. In March, she will have her last treatment, and then it will be a ten-year wait with regular check-ups into early adulthood to see if she is in remission or not.

Until then she’s back at school, where she is encouraging her fellow pupils to take part in her campaign.

“I went to school today and I was standing at the gates crying, as there were hundreds of kids on their scooters. Amazing,” says Lynda, whose hopes for her daughter’s future are for her to be “healthy and happy”.

And there’s much to look forward to. Mila has been nominated for this week’s Scotland’s Champion Awards in the Little Champions category for bravery, courage and resilience and she has ambitions to be a “farmer, policewoman, firefighter or in the movies” when she grows up.

She will also have treasured memories of a very special day. “It will be a fairytale to tell her grandkids in years to come,” says Lynda. “It’s not just a fleeting moment, it’s part of history.”

Mila has already raised more than £4,500

‘ I got a real sense

of Kate being a mother in the way

she spoke to Mila’

Mila meets the Duchess of Cambridge at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh as her proud mother Lynda watches on

The five-year-old and her family (left) are joined by the Duke of Cambridge as well as Kate during the trip to Holyroodhouse

Riding a scooter in her favourite colour, Mila is now inviting others to take photos of themselves on the two-wheelers to raise funds and awareness for Blood Cancer UK

Uplifting: Mila was separated from dad Scott ( above) and sister Jodi (left) last year while shielding during lockdown. A touching photo of her kissing her dad through a window during this period (below) was chosen as one of 100 images f e a t u re d in the Duchess’s book Hold Still , comprising portraits of life in the UK during lockdown, which went on to become a bestseller

The brave girl has been nominated for the Scotland’s Champion Awards. Of her meeting with Kate (below), her mum says: “It will be a fairytale to tell her grandkids in years to come”