Cancer survivor Millie Wiseman wins a scholarship to progress her business for ‘neurospicy teens’
At 16, most teenagers are worried about exams, friendship drama, and passing their driving test. Millie Wiseman from Castle Cove has bigger things on her mind; like how to turn her cancer journey into a business that could change lives. The local teenager has just been named a Redkite Dare to Dream Scholarship winner, receiving $5,000 to create a line of sensory-friendly clothing and fidget products for neurodivergent teens.
Before Millie’s cancer diagnosis, she was already dealing with a full deck of
challenges: ADHD, anxiety, and severe dyslexia. She’d worked hard to find her place in the world, making friends and being able to enjoy school for the first time.
Then came April 2024 and a stage 4 Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis that turned her life upside down. “Treatment threw me from working so hard to tolerate the school environment and a social life, into a noisy, brightly lit sensory overload of oncology clinics,” Millie says.
A lump on her collarbone led to multiple scans at Westmead Hospital, each one confirming what nobody wanted to hear. “I’d already been dealt some tough cards in life, then I turned over the next card of cancer and thought, ‘How lucky am I? Such an overachiever of all things not helpful,’” she says.
Millie endured seven-hour chemotherapy sessions under harsh fluorescent lights, surrounded by the overwhelming sensory assault of a busy hospital. Hair loss, relentless nausea, and steroid-induced swelling were just part of the package.
When Millie was declared cancer-free, it wasn’t the happy ending everyone expected. “Everyone says, ‘You’re cancer-free, congratulations, you can go back to normal life!’ Not quite,” she explains. Brain fog, energy crashes and concentration issues have made the return to teenage life anything but smooth. It’s a reality many young cancer survivors face but rarely talk about.
During those long treatment sessions, Millie found herself part of what she calls the ‘hoodie tribe’ – patients who relied on their hoodies for comfort, coverage and relief from sensory overload. That’s when the lightbulb moment happened. “I spent many hours imagining ways to adapt a hoodie to help calm my nervous system,” she says. Her solution? Chewable hoodie strings with removable charms that can be swapped based on mood.
The RedKite scholarship funding will cover materials, designs, sewing lessons and launching what she’s calling a business for ‘neurospicy teens’ – Millie’s affectionate term for her target market.
Mum Sally couldn’t be prouder of her daughter’s entrepreneurial streak. “This is just another opportunity to show Millie’s strengths that make her shine. And I think it’s okay not to be a normal teenager, to give other people the permission to go, ‘Well, she didn’t follow the same paths for a teenager.’ You create your own destiny,” Sally says.
Millie undergoing treatment for stage 4 Hodgkin lymphoma
Sally and Millie
The Redkite and Coles Dare to Dream Scholarship, now in its 12th year, supports young people aged 13 to 18 among the 20,000 young Australians living with cancer’s long-term impacts. Redkite chief executive Monique Keighery knows that surviving cancer is often just the beginning of the journey. “The Redkite and Coles Dare to Dream Scholarship recognises the resilience and ambition of young cancer patients and survivors, providing extra support so they can look to the future with confidence,” Monique says.
For the family, Redkite’s support made all the difference during the toughest time. “We were blown away by Redkite. I actually got emotional when they came in. They were the first people that were like, ‘Here’s your bag, this is what to expect. Here are some services’ They’re just really lovely,” Sally says.
For Millie, the scholarship will help her move from survivor mode to creator mode. “A way to shift my focus from surviving cancer to building a future that helps others like me. From one overachiever in adversity to hopefully, an overachiever in innovation,” she said. In a world where teenagers often feel pressured to fit in, Millie’s products will help kids to feel comfortable in their own skin.