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A mother-of-two who returned to college while battling cancer and caring for her disabled son has been awarded for her bravery and dedication.

When she was 32-years-old, Emma Hughes was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer, which meant she needed to have a double mastectomy and have her ovaries removed.

Inspired by the support she received from the NHS, Emma, from Blackwood, decided to pursue a career in the health service.

Being the mother of a child with severe learning disabilities, Emma said: “While I was going through all my medical procedures, I imagined how difficult it would be for people with disabilities, like my son, who is nonverbal, to go through something like that.

“The reality is that people with such issues tend to have less favourable outcomes when it comes to illnesses due to the communication barriers they face.”

She added: “Knowing first-hand how difficult it would be for my child made me determined to become a Learning Disability Nurse myself, so that I could help.”

Having left school at 16 with no qualifications, Emma decided to return to education and began studying at Coleg y Cymoedd’s Ystrad Mynach campus in 2020 to pursue her new ambition.

Now, aged 36, she is in her first year studying Disability Nursing at the University of South Wales.

Having spent more than 15 years working part time at a call centre, the thought of returning to education in her 30s was scary for Emma – who was worried about balancing her studies with her cancer treatment and caring for her son.

But flexible learning at Coleg y Cymoedd meant she was able to work around hospital appointments and caring.

Her education return has seen her win the ‘Outstanding commitment to study’ category at this year’s Access to Higher Education Learner of the Year awards, run by Agored Cymru.

Emma said: “I did worry that not having GCSEs would mean a career in healthcare would never be an option for me.

“After just two years in college, I’ve gone from having zero qualifications to having a diploma with 39 distinctions and a place at university – somewhere I never thought I’d go.”

She continued: “I’ve just completed my first placement as a learning disability nurse and loved it. I can’t believe I’m working towards my dream career and have to pinch myself sometimes.

“Winning an award now is the icing on the cake and it’s nice to see others saying that I’m an inspiration.”

Following her Agored Cymru award success, Emma has now been put forward for the national ‘Keith Fletcher’ award, where she will compete against other winners from across the UK.

Coleg y Cymoedd tutor Tanya Gordon hailed Emma’s progress as “nothing short of amazing” and added: “We know she will be a huge success in her new role.”