Eastbourne girl whose story was heard by Prime Minister receives GCSEs

Lara Kyprianou-Hickman was too sick to take her GCSEs after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in January and would only have received a certificate of recognition.

Lara’s situation went all the way up to Parliament and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised to “find a resolution” for the 16-year-old.

Today she picked up her GCSE results from Ratton School in Eastbourne which means she can follow her passion in art and design at college.

Lara with her results (Image: Supplied)

Lara, from Eastbourne, said: “I am happy, it was nice to receive the results and watch my friends opening them.

“I’m going to Lewes to do a two year art and design course in September. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without these grades.

“I got seven passes, 6 and 7 in English, 4 in maths, 5 and 6 in science, 4 in ethics, and 8 in art.”

Lara’s mum Sophia, 52, an English teacher at Seaford Head School, thanked people who helped fight for Lara’s case.

Students who are suffering ill health currently have to get special arrangements such as extra time, rest breaks or someone to read or write for them.

Sophia and Lara (Image: Sophia Kyprianou)

Sophia, Eastbourne MP Caroline Ansell and thousands of people who signed a petition for Lara argued that sick children should be allowed to get her GCSEs based off mock exam results and predicted grades.

Lara’s family said she was too ill from the treatment to do any revision or exams.

Sophia said: “She can go and do her course now thanks to the petition my students started, what Caroline Ansell has done, what my support group has done. She wouldn’t have any results now otherwise.

“She’s fought the cancer off, she’s rung the bell. It was seven months from start to end. She had a party to celebrate last week with friends.

Lara when she rung the bell (Image: Supplied)

“Lara is a tough cookie. Her hair is growing back now. She rung the bell on June 30 this year.

“You develop this strength that you never knew you had. It’s lots of heart ache, when it’s over that was the lowest period as you have time to think about everything. When it’s going, there is no time to think about anything.

“We look at things differently now, we cherish every day. Don’t worry about anything other than health and happiness. It’s done us good in a strange kind of way.”

Paris Blair was in the same hospital ward as Lara as they were both being treated for cancer.

Paris Blair also picked up her results today (Image: Dorothy Stringer)

Paris picked up her results today at Dorothy Stringer School in Brighton.

She took mock exams in hospital while receiving treatment for cancer, but was only able to complete a few papers. 

However, Paris still completed her GCSEs in school despite undergoing chemotherapy at the time. 

She was delighted to have completed nine GCSEs.