In the past five months, Ena Marie Mifsud has endured four cycles of chemotherapy, faced a stem cell transplant and set up an online business.
The 15-year-old from Birżebbuġa founded Ena’s Creations, which makes personalised accessories, while living in London where she is undergoing treatment for a brain tumour.
Among the clients for her personalised mugs, T-Shirts, birthday cards and tote bags are the nurses who are treating the young entrepreneur.
“Doctors told us she is improving a lot and they encourage her to keep doing these things as they help her both physically and mentally,” her mother, Maria says.
A personalised bag made by Ena Marie.
A personalised ‘thank you’ card made by Ena Marie.
“She keeps herself busy and does not sit here all day and think about the problem. She recovered quite fast from a stem cell transplant and doctors think these things distract her from the side effects and help her recover faster,” she adds.
Ena Marie has also been going to school within the University College London Hospital where she was able to continue her Maltese syllabus. Since she could not sit for her ‘O’ levels in May, she plans to take them in September, when she will also turn 16.
“I hope to be in Malta by then and I just really wish to go to De La Salle Sixth Form,” Ena Marie says.
Years-long ordeal
The teenager’s health problems started some years ago when she developed stomach-related issues and was diagnosed with a rare condition that required her to go for treatment in Rome from November 2021 until March 2022.
The treatment was successful and Ena Marie started undergoing physiotherapy to regain her strength after having been bedridden for months. All was progressing well when, towards the end of last year, she began experiencing pain in her right leg. She also started losing her balance and the family initially thought it was due to the physiotherapy.
After having blurred vision, an MRI carried out on December 20 showed she had a cancerous tumour in the cerebellum, the part of the brain that controls balance. Parts of the tumour had spread to the spine, causing blurred vision and leg pain.
She was rushed to the UK for surgery at Great Ormond Hospital and then transferred to a University College London Hospital in central London. Three days later, she underwent a major six-hour operation during which surgeons removed parts of the tumour that had spread to her spine. In January, before starting four rounds of chemotherapy, Ena Marie cut her hair short in preparation for the hair loss, donating her long red hair to a London charity called the Little Princess Trust.
Since then, she has completed the chemotherapy and had the stem cell transplant.
It has been tough for the teenager.
“It’s very hard. There are times when I start to cry and don’t stop,” she says from her apartment in central London which has been her home since December.
Ena Marie with Spider Man
Ena Marie with a wax model of Princess Diana.
While the family is receiving support from the Maltese government and the Malta Community Chest Fund, it still needed more help to cover expenses that include the rent of the apartment close to the hospital in central London. Puttinu Cares Foundation has also been of support and had offered an apartment in Sutton but it is too far for Ena Marie to travel during her treatment.
A fundraiser, set up by her aunt earlier this year, had raised over €40,000 to help pay rent that amounts to £4,000 (€4,686) per month, excluding expenses such as utility bills and council tax.
The next step is to start six weeks of radiotherapy before hopefully returning to Malta and starting sixth form. She is already thinking about her future plans.
Ena Marie is a huge Harry Potter fan and has been inspired by a quote from the character Albus Dumbledore: “It does not do well to dwell on dreams and forget to live.”
A Lego version of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry by Ena Marie
Dobbie and other Lego creations by Ena Marie.
“For a very long time I used to say I wanted to be a teacher because I love small children,” she says. “As I’m getting older, I really love sciences but they need more thinking. I really like the job of an astronaut because it fascinates me. But I would not go into space as that scares me. I would study about what you can find in space and the robots. Or completely different, I really love musical theatre. When I see musicals I feel like I want to be up there with them,” she says.
Until then, Ena Maria is busy focusing on her studies and business – Ena’s Creations, which can be found on Instagram and Facebook. She has been helping the Birżebbuġa Girl Guides with promotional material while they have been fundraising to help their fellow girl guide.
She was also commissioned to make end-of-year souvenirs for students from teachers with inspirational quotes.
Ena Marie loves quotes and ends by sharing some of her favourites: “Fight the good fight… Cancer may have started the fight, but I will finish it…. It does not do well to dwell on dreams and forget to live.”