Girl, 11, becoming youngest ever MBE ‘never thought this would happen'
Carmela Chillery-Watson, from Dorset, has LMNA congenital muscular dystrophy – a progressive muscle-wasting condition which affects her movement, heart and lungs – and is becoming a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the King's Birthday Honours for services to charitable fundraising.
She was diagnosed with the condition in 2017, aged three, and in recent years has helped charity Muscular Dystrophy UK raise more than £400,000 by doing around 25 fundraising and awareness campaigns.
'I'm just really ecstatic and surprised that I'm receiving the honour,' Carmela told the PA news agency.
'It's incredible.'
The 11-year-old campaigner has undertaken a variety of challenges, including her Wonder Woman Walk where she walked one kilometre a day and then went another nine kilometres a day in her wheelchair for a month in 2020.
Dressed as her favourite superhero Wonder Woman, Carmela travelled across 30 different places in Cornwall, Somerset, Wiltshire and Surrey to complete the 300-kilometre trek.
She has also carried out a 100-mile walking challenge across the Jurassic Coast in Dorset.
'I have to say, I love all of them,' Carmela said of her various fundraising campaigns. 'They are all so fun.'
She also teaches exercises online for an optional small donation to help others with muscular dystrophy and similar physical disabilities who are unable to leave their homes or who don't have access to physiotherapy in their area.
Carmela said people from as far away as Africa and the US have attended her virtual sessions.
She is already an award winner, having been presented with a British Citizen Youth Award Medal of Honour in 2023 for making a positive impact on her community and society more widely.
The Government believes Carmela is the youngest-ever MBE, although it does not hold all the historical data to be able to confirm it.
Tony Hudgell became the youngest person on record to be honoured when he was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) at the age of nine in the 2024 New Year Honours.
Carmela will break paralympic swimmer Ellie Simmonds' record of being the youngest person to become an MBE from 2009 when she was 14 years old.
The 11-year-old said she never looked for an award for her campaigning.
'I never thought anything like this would happen,' she said.
'I just want to make a difference to the disability community, to be able to show them: You're strong, you can do whatever you want.'
Carmela's mother Lucy Chillery-Watson said she was 'bursting with pride' over her daughter becoming an MBE.
'Since the moment she was born she showed true resilience and determination – growing up with health conditions, one after the other,' Ms Chillery-Watson said.
'She's making a huge difference in the world.'
She said her daughter does not let her physical disability stop her.
'She's already thought about her next challenge, she wants to go around UK primary schools to spread inclusivity in amongst the schools for physical disabilities, because Carmela has got her own experiences and in society there's still so much that needs to be done.'
Carmela is very excited at the prospect of meeting a royal at an investiture ceremony.
'Potentially meeting King Charles or Queen Camilla – that is amazing,' she said.
'I mean, that is insane.
'Receiving an MBE is incredible but potentially meeting the King or Queen is even better.'
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