21 year old Kirsty Ashton inspired many during the 2009 RIBI Conference when she was presented with an RIBI Young Citizen Award for her fundraising work for When You Wish Upon a Star. Now, just three years later, she has become the youngest recipent of an MBE in the 2012 New Year’s Honours list.
Kirsty, from Manchester, has neurofibromatosis (NF) which is a genetically inherited disorder affecting the skin and nervous system. She makes regular trips to hospital to have tumours removed and has as many as 100 growths in her body at anyone time. Despite this condition, Kirsty was determined to raise much needed money for When You Wish Upon a Star, a charity which had granted her wish as a little girl. Kirsty has succeeded in raising just over £95,000, helping many children with serious illnesses to go to Lapland at Christmas to see Santa Claus.
"I’m the youngest person this year to receive an MBE and I feel honoured. I feel it shows people that the younger generation are not all that bad. I am just very pleaseed to be getting this award.
"My friends and family are really happy for me and really impressed wiht my work. My friends have been saying they are honoured to know me and to call me their friend. Others have said I make a great role mode. My family are still very much in shock, as I am, and are really proud of me."
In 2009, Kirsty’s incredible devotion to helping other children was spotted by the Rotary Club of Didsbury and District which put her forward for the RIBI Young Citizen Awards. She has not looked back: "Since getting the RIBI award in 2009, I have been taking lots of different courses at college and university, volunteering in high schools and in radio. I have been holding several events for the charity When You Wish Upon a Star. I have had my book published and I have continued to work on my website.
"I want to raise as much as I can for When You Wish Upon a Star. I want to raise 100k for them. I intend to have several events this year in which I will get more people on board to support me and the charity. I would like to get my book onto Kindle and write a second book."
Kirsty is determined to help as many young people as possible and has these words of wisdom for those with NF: "I would ask them not to sit back and give up and not to think they are alone. I am always here to listen them and help them if I can.
"Take one day at time and don’t think about what might happen due to NF. Everyone is different and they may never have the problems that the NF has given me. Life is for living and they must live their life to the full and enjoy each day as it comes. They can always contact me via my web page www.kirstysstory.co.uk."
