Carmela Chillery-Watson, 11, from Bournemouth has been included in the 2025 King’s Birthday Honours List, making history as the youngest ever MBE. Recognised for her services to charitable fundraising for Muscular Dystrophy UK, Carmela has also recently become our first Young Ambassador.
Carmela and her family’s involvement with us began when she was just four years’ old, after she was diagnosed with an extremely rare progressive muscle wasting condition, LMNA congenital muscular dystrophy (L-CMD), which affects just one in a million children worldwide. Despite the daily challenges she faces, Carmela dedicates her time to inspiring other young people, as well as raising money to help us fund groundbreaking research and life-changing support for people living with similar conditions.
Explaining what the MBE means to her and her hopes for the future, Carmela said:
“When I got the letter, I was flabbergasted and of course thrilled. It’s absolutely amazing and I’m very excited to meet the King!”
“I fundraise for Muscular Dystrophy UK because I want to raise money to help find a cure or treatment to change people’s lives living with a condition like mine. But I also want to inspire other children with a disability. Like the modelling I do. I’d love to become an advocate for disability clothing and show people to follow their dreams, whatever they may be.”
Living with such a rare type of muscular dystrophy, Carmela is growing up with few people understanding what is going to happen to her. “The condition is extremely rare and affects children with different severities,” explains Carmela’s mum Lucy.
“But it’s not just the progressive muscle wasting and loss of mobility that Carmela has had to deal with due to her muscular dystrophy. While a risk of heart and respiratory complications was something we were told to expect at some stage, we weren’t prepared for the news we got last summer about a life-threatening heart condition. Her heart rate went up to 300 bpm while sleeping and she was close to a cardiac arrest, so she had to have defibrillator inserted above her heart. She’s also recently been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and Lipodystrophy which we’ve been told can cause organ failure.”
“It’s a lot to deal with but nothing seems to keep Carmela down for long. Of course, there are days she gets upset because she can’t keep up with her friends or is fed up with falling over. But she’s just such an incredible, brave young person; so happy, bright and funny with a real zest for life.”
Fundraising for us is something that Carmela has thrown herself into since her diagnosis and she has helped to raise more than £400,000 over the last seven years, taking on a range of different challenges and supporting our fundraising activities. In addition to this, she has fundraised for her local children’s hospice charity, Julia’s House, and her school.
However, it’s Carmela’s passion for fashion and desire to promote inclusivity that really drives her. She dreams of being a model who can be seen on a high street shop poster to raise awareness of disabilities and inspire other young people like her. In 2019 aged just five, Carmela first appeared on the catwalk at the Bristol Fashion Show, then again in 2022 aged eight. November 2023 was her third appearance at the show, raising money for us while also highlighting the importance of accessibility and inclusive fashion, and she took part again in April 2025.
Andy Fletcher, CEO at Muscular Dystrophy UK said: “We were all thrilled to hear the news about Carmela’s MBE and can’t think of a more deserving recipient of this honour.
“Despite the challenges she faces, Carmela is always thinking of others – not just in terms of her incredible fundraising to help fund research, but everything she does to inspire other young people in our community.”
Her courage and determination drive her to raise awareness of muscular dystrophy and help others living with muscle wasting conditions to stay strong. That’s why we’re delighted that she recently agreed to become a Young Ambassador of the charity. She’s an inspiration to all of us.”
Carmela was named in the King’s Birthday Honours List on 13 June 2025, aged 11, making history as the youngest person to be awarded an MBE (previously Ellie Simmonds OBE, who was 14 when her MBE was announced on 31 December 2008, according to Guinness World Records). Carmela also became our first Young Ambassador in June 2025. She is currently working on a plan to tour primary schools around the country to talk about living with a rare muscle wasting condition and the importance of making schools and activities accessible and inclusive.
