Charlotte's Story in Ipswich up for Smiley Film Awards

A short film about an "amazing little girl" from Ipswich has been nominated for a national award. <i>(Image: East Anglia's Children's Hospices)</i>
A short film about an "amazing little girl" from Ipswich has been nominated for a national award. (Image: East Anglia's Children's Hospices)
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A short film about an "amazing little girl" from Ipswich living with a rare muscle disease has been nominated for an international award. 

The Smiley Charity Film Awards are a global competition that celebrates films that raise awareness for charities and social causes. 

This year, Charlotte's Story, a short film about a 10-year-old who attends East Anglia's Children's Hospice's Treehouse in Ipswich, has been nominated for the award. 

Charlotte, who lives with nemaline myopathy, which causes muscle weakness throughout the body, typically in the face, neck and limbs, spent the first four months of her life in the hospital and is described by her mother Nova as an "absolute trooper".

She said: “In terms of her health, it’s a continuous cycle of ups and downs.

"She’s been through so much and winter is especially hard, but she’s so accepting of her condition.

"She’s so resilient, pragmatic and robust. She continues to defy the odds but is an absolute trooper and fights with all her might.”

Charlotte with carerCharlotte loves spending time with carer Jenney McClure (Image: Matt Plummer)
The short film outlines the positive attitude Charlotte has to life and is a testament to her competitive spirit and friendliness with all the staff at Ipswich's Treehouse. 

Carer assistant, Jenney McClure, said: "She's just such an amazing little girl. She comes in and everyone's really happy to greet her.

"We all look forward to her stay because she keeps us so busy!

"I first met her when I first started here two years ago.

The film outlines Charlotte's positive attitude to lifeThe film outlines Charlotte's positive attitude to life (Image: EACH) "She was eight at the time and I couldn't believe I was talking to an eight-year-old because she was so mature in the way she speaks and her understanding of everything you care to talk about."

The film was released on YouTube six months ago by East Anglia's Children's Hospices.

The winner of the Smiley Charity Film Awards will be announced on March 20, which is International Day of Happiness, and the ceremony will take place at Indigo at The O2 in London. 

Votes can be made via the Smiley Charity Film Award website and the entrants, who are all charities or social enterprises, and awards are split into categories based on the budgets and revenues of the organisations. 

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