Eleanor is a witty, clever, and exceptionally humorous teenager who navigates her world with the aid of her white cane, affectionately named Mike, after the actor Michael Caine.

At just three years old, she was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor that has taken away her vision.

Eleanor expresses her excitement about being part of this year’s BBC Children in Need choir, scheduled to perform in the fundraising event on November 14.

She feels no apprehension at all; her mother, Kelly, notes that her daughter seizes every opportunity that comes her way and, having faced numerous challenges, “doesn’t sweat the small stuff.”

Throughout her 14 years, Eleanor has spent much time in hospitals undergoing scans, tests, neurosurgery, and chemotherapy.

Her family learned about her illness just as she was preparing to start school.

“She would drop things and then feel around for them but couldn’t find them,” Kelly recalls.

“Out of nowhere, she began asking, ‘Mummy, what color is this?’ and I’d respond, ‘You know your colors!’ She became a bit more attached when we would go out for walks.”

Eleanor went for an eye examination, and it was the optometrist who quickly identified that something was awry.

The family was suddenly immersed in a world filled with oncologists, hospitals, and challenges related to visual impairment.

Eleanor received the diagnosis of a Low Grade Hypothalamic Glioma, an incurable brain tumor that has caused permanent damage to her optic nerves, resulting in severe visual impairment.

She can discern light and dark, but she cannot see details or faces. According to her father, Tim, she enjoys the sight of pigeons because she can see their dark gray shapes against the lighter pavements.

When I met her during the BBC Radio London segment of the 1,000 Mile Challenge, a three-legged walk across the country, her pigeon impressions had me in stitches.

We are sharing Eleanor’s story because she has directly benefited from a charity supported by donations to BBC Children in Need.

Living Paintings is a free postal library that offers accessible books through their Touch to See program.

When Eleanor was younger, these books brought classic characters, like Julia Donaldson’s Superworm, to life for her.

She commented, “It really expanded my imagination because it opened up a whole new world at my fingertips.”

The charity provided a box for her while we were filming. With a smile, she read Braille and fondly recalled childhood stories like Spot the Dog, feeling the shapes beneath her fingertips.

“This has so much detail—like the nose and eyes are smoother than the face and ears, things you wouldn’t normally consider,” she explained.

Tim added that these books enabled her to “gain knowledge through tactile art, giving her insights into things she wouldn’t otherwise be able to see.”

Eleanor is an accomplished performer, stating that her weekly singing lessons offer her “a little escape from the stress of school and everything else.”

She has taken on the role of Tiny Tim in productions of A Christmas Carol at the Old Vic and lent her voice to Lark, an animated character in the show Milo on Channel 5.

Last year, the BBC documented her preparations for narrating a live audio description of The Witches at the National Theatre—a role typically performed by sighted individuals.

Without significant breakthroughs in medical research, the likelihood of Eleanor regaining her sight remains slim, and her brain tumor will persist until a cure is discovered.

She undergoes regular scans to monitor its growth, with treatments expected to continue into her teenage years and beyond.

Yet, this optimistic young girl from Hampton maintains a steadfastly positive outlook.

“I strive to stay away from negativity because I’ve experienced a lot of it, but I prefer to focus on all the good things I’m accomplishing,” she shares.