Millie, a local 16-year-old from Castle Cove, was a finalist for the 2025 Redkite & Coles Dare to Dream Scholarship.
Aimed at helping young Australians aged 13 to 18 who are living with the impacts of cancer, the national program gifts a winner with a total of $5,000 to achieve their dreams. Each finalist receives a $3,000 scholarship.
For Millie, who has completed treatment for stage 4 Hodgkins Lymphoma, her dream is to create sensory-friendly clothing and fidget products for neurodivergent young people. Living with ADHD, severe dyslexia, and anxiety—on top of fighting her cancer, this aspiration is close to Millie’s heart.
‘I had really worked on myself to be able to tolerate the school environment, find friends and tolerate social outings with friends,’ explains Millie. ‘Then suddenly I was back at home. Not just at home I was then thrusted into a noisy brightly lit sensory nightmare of an Oncology clinic.’
This scholarship will allow Millie to design custom hoodies, take sewing lessons, and launch her own small business.
‘[During treatment] I spent many hours imagining ways to adapt a hoodie to help calm my nervous system. One idea I prototyped is chewable hoodie strings with removable chewy charms you can swap out based on your mood. A sensory-friendly design created to help neurodivergent teens feel more comfortable and confident in clinical or everyday settings, while still fitting in.’
Redkite is a national Australian charity supporting families facing childhood cancer. Coles and customers provide funding support to the chosen scholarship winners.
