A teenager from Childrey is working towards a career in care with the support of residents and staff at a Wantage care home.

Mikayla Daisy Beames, 17, has been living with brain cancer since she was four years old. 

She has a visual impairment and occasional seizures but these have proven no barrier to her being offered work experience at Elmbrook Court care home in Grove Road. 

Ms Beames spends every Tuesday at the home as part of the NVQ Level 2 in Health and Social Care she’s studying for at the City of Oxford College.

She also runs her own charity, Team Mikayla, which grants wishes for children with cancer.

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Lifestyles manager Sharon Ottley said: “Mikayla is wonderful. She’s so enthusiastic, she’s got lots of energy and she’s a fantastic addition to the team. 

"She even organised for Santa to come to our residents’ Christmas party, something we’ve never done before.”

Ms Beames is a month into her placement, with two more months to complete. She will take her Level 2 exams in January and is planning to continue her studies and start her NVQ Level 3 next September. 

She said: “I want to care for others, and I’ve already learned so much from the residents at Elmbrook Court, especially around dementia.

"I’ve spent a lot of time in and out of hospital and I suppose I want to pay that care forward. I’m really grateful to Elmbrook Court for giving me the experience I need."