Superhero Charlie follows in Paddington’s paw prints

There were many important people among the attendees at last night’s London Embassy – none more so than six-year-old Charlie Smart.

Charlie, along with his mum Amanda Trounson, were at the Tower of London event as guests of Matthew Crawford and Laura Baddiley from Embark Federation.

Charlie, from Chesterfield, who attends one of Embark’s schools William Rhodes Primary School, was especially chosen to be there.

Up until now, Charlie, who is living with terminal cancer, had never been to London before.

And his visit to the Tower of London was part of a bigger trip for him, mum Amanda, dad Tristan Smart and little brother Rory.

Charlie first became ill in August last year and a subsequent MRI scan found a large tumour attached to his brain stem.

After undergoing surgery to remove the tumour, eventually, in April, he was officially in remission.

However, a further MRI scan in July revealed that the cancer had not only returned but had spread to his spinal cord.

This meant that Charlie’s illness became terminal.

From that moment on, Charlie and his family began to make lots of wonderful memories with him, ticking off all of the experiences on his wish list while he was able to do so, including a trip to London.

To make his visit to the Tower of London extra special, Marketing Derby worked with Embark to arrange a private tour for Charlie, led by a Yeoman Warder.

Charlie, who was presented with his own crown, then spent time with the warders for some storytelling.

Matthew, who is trust leader at Embark, said: “We wanted to create an unforgettable experience for Charlie and his family during their first visit to London.

“The trip was carefully planned around Charlie and Rory’s interests to make sure it’s a truly special and memorable occasion for them all.”

Speaking about the Paddington-loving youngster, his school said: “Despite all of this, Charlie still attends school twice a week with his friends, maintaining his sense of normality.

“Charlie remains a key member of his year two class and his inquisitive nature is still shining through, along with his cheeky smile.

“Each week, Charlie enjoys carrying out science experiments and soaking up new information.

“Our school family are so proud of Charlie’s bravery and determination to keep smiling through such an unimaginably difficult time: he really is our very own superhero!”