Mikayla Beames, from Wantage, Oxfordshire, has been given a British Empire Medal for her services to charitable fundraising.

The 18-year-old, who is currently undergoing chemotherapy for brain cancer, set up the charity Team Mikayla in 2014, which grants wishes for children being treated at four UK hospitals.

Mikayla, who won a BBC Make a Difference Award in September for her fundraising, said she was initially told by her mum that a "very important letter" had arrived for her.

Mikayla said her mission remains to "create more and more smiles" for children with cancer, which she said is "such a hard journey".

Mum Natasha said she was extremely proud of Mikayla.

"It's still surreal. We're just normal people trying to do good in the community. To get the honour for Mikayla, it's like, 'this is really happening!'"

This Christmas the charity delivered more than £2,000 worth of books and toys to children's hospital wards in Oxford, Bristol, Leicester and Nottingham. -- BBC

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