The Rotary Young Citizen Awards acknowledge accomplishments of young people under the age of 25. One winner is Theodore Sergiou who was nominated by Enfield Chase Rotary, London.

By Eve Conway

Published Date: August 3, 2020

Rotary Great Britain & Ireland

Theodore Sergiou

During the pandemic, Theo has been involved in discussions 

with Government Ministers about issues affecting young people.

Aged just two-and-a-half months, 19-year-old Theo was diagnosed with bilateral Retinoblastoma (cancer in both of his eyes) and after treatment, doctors regained some of his sight.

However, aged four, he was diagnosed with cancer again, this time the tumour had grown so big, his parents had been told he had only a few days to live, the cancer was terminal.

With treatment though, the tumours stopped growing.

Theo says: “I still am partially blind and in fear knowing that the cancer could come out of remission one day and kill me, but I survived.”

His ongoing medical condition and regular hospital admissions haven’t stopped him from doing so much for others.

He is the London representative on the UK’s Youth Parliament and is passionate about reducing knife crime. He was recruited to the Youth Advisory Forum, the first ever youth civil service body and Theo is the youngest person in British history to contribute to a No. 10 Cabinet meeting.

During the pandemic, Theo has been involved in discussions with Government Ministers about issues affecting young people.

As an inpatient at Barts hospital in 2014, he realised how little say young people have in their own care and became the co-founder of Barts YES Forum – Youth Empowerment Squad which now stretches across the Barts Trust, set up to help improve the experience of young patients.

During the coronavirus pandemic, he has been giving peer support across the five Barts hospital sites in London to those aged from 11 to 19, who are concerned about being in hospital or don’t want to go to hospital appointments and are worried about their survival.

He has also supported kids in education writing an open letter to the Prime Minister about the lack of provision during lockdown for youngsters with special educational needs who, he says, are suffering mental health problems and not getting an education and also those who are being marginalised because they are digitally disadvantaged due to lack of access to modern technology.

Theo is a lay member of NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) on their Complex Needs and Disability Committee producing guidelines for key-workers and is the first young person on this committee.

He is on the NHS England Youth Forum, representing the views of local young people on a national platform and Youth Representative for Health Education England on their Patient Advisory Forum.