A 17-year-old pianist from Feering, Essex, has spoken about how music provided support during his cancer treatment. Felix, who is partially blind, was born with retinoblastoma, a rare form of eye cancer that affects approximately 50 children each year in the UK.
Felix began playing the piano at the age of three. He stated that a keyboard was always accessible while he was in hospital receiving chemotherapy. He learns music by hearing and memory, visualising different notes as colours.
Diagnosed with cancer in both eyes at one month old, Felix underwent chemotherapy and other treatments. At four, he had an eye removed to prevent the cancer from spreading. Further chemotherapy and surgery helped save some sight in his remaining eye.
Now 17, Felix is studying for a diploma in music performance at Colchester Institute and aims to secure a place at the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. He hopes to pursue a career as a concert pianist, composer, or session musician. His tutor, Michael Allen, praised Felix's ability to describe music and his piano playing.
Felix also highlighted the support he received from the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust, a charity backed by BBC Children in Need, which connects families affected by childhood eye cancer.