North Yorkshire: College hails achievements of heroic students

Andrew Langthorne picked up two grade C GCSEs bringing the total number of qualifications he achieved to five despite a life-long struggle with cystic fibrosis, which means he goes through twice daily physiotherapy and four nebulisers.

His fellow Northallerton College student Charlie Sidgwick has had to overcome a brain tumour which required surgery and three months of radiotherapy treatment in a cutting edge American hospital.

Despite this he achieved nine GCSEs including grade Bs in business and science. Their struggles with adversity were hailed as heroic yesterday by teaching 
staff .

Farmer’s son Andrew, of Brompton, was born with the incurable ailment which fills the lungs with mucus. The 16-year-old missed months of schooling because of the disease and had to receive home-tutoring for his studies, where he has an oxygen supply.

His parents farm buffalo just outside Northallerton because their milk was the only type Andrew was not violently allergic to.

They gave up their dairy herd and now farm the animals for their meat. “I was really allergic to cow’s milk and we tried goat’s too but that was no better,” said Andrew, who plans to become a farmer himself. “Then we tried buffalo’s milk and that worked and now we farm the animals and have just opened a farm shop.

“As for the cystic fibrosis; well I don’t know anything different and just have to get on with life.

“The college has been very supportive and helped me through.”

Unbeknown to Charlie and his family, he had been born with a small brain tumour on top of his brain stem. But it was only as he was about to start studying for his GCSEs that it made its presence felt.

Charlie said: “I suddenly developed a really bad headache which lasted a week, then my eye turned, I went to hospital for a scan and then had to have a biopsy at Newcastle General.

“Two months later I had an operation through my nose to get rid of the tumour, which was the size of a Malteser, but they also said I would need radiation therapy which couldn’t be done accurately enough in this country.”

Charlie had to overcome his fear of flying to travel to the US. He said: “I spent three months in a hospital in Jacksonville having proton beam therapy.

“The treatment wasn’t too bad and Florida was amazing.”

Northallerton College principal Mick Hill said: “Of course we are thrilled for all of our students who achieved their goals, but Andrew and Charlie stand out for their heroic efforts given the chronic health issues they have had to overcome.”