Eight-year-old Sophie Shumack with her mum, award-winning children’s picture book author Dr Danielle Camer. Photo: Danielle Camer.
Big, beautiful dreams are not uncommon among children, but when Fairy Meadow’s eight-year-old Sophie Shumack says she’s going to cure cancer one day, one has every reason to believe her.
Out of 750 nominations around the world, she is one of five children to be named a finalist in the “Girl Changing the World of the Year” category at the 2025 Women Changing the World Awards, to be held this April.
Hosted in London and presented by Oprah Winfrey’s all-time favourite guest Dr Tererai Trent, the Women Changing the World Awards celebrate and recognise women achieving outstanding success in areas such as sustainability, humanitarian work, leadership, advocacy, tech, product development, education, health and innovation.
“These exceptional women are here to awaken hearts, give permission to recapture dreams and inspire the women of the world to come together to forge a brighter path for all,” Dr Trent says.
Life has been anything but easy for little Sophie, but despite the grief surrounding the tragic loss of her father to a rare and aggressive melanoma two years ago, and a lack of understanding around her autism and ADHD, the past year has included multiple achievements that will see her flying to London for the awards.
In the past 12 months Sophie has co-written a picture book called That Doesn’t Go with her mum, award-winning children’s picture book author Dr Danielle Camer, was a top achiever in NSW for the International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS) 2024 competition and raised hundreds of dollars for the Melanoma Institute Australia.
In her adversity, lofty and noble goals have blossomed.
“I am inspired by my dad to be a scientist when I grow up. When he got really sick, I asked Dad if he could phone every scientist around the world to tell them to start inventing a medicine so that no one ever has to die. I hope I can do this someday,” Sophie says.
“My dad died and it makes me feel sad every day. Being creative has helped me with my sadness. Doing things to help others, such as raising money for melanoma research helps me feel better, too.”
Danielle is a leading senior medical writer, creative director and multiple award-winning author. Her debut title, Sophie Won’t Sleep has received 10 prestigious international awards, including a Gold Medal in the Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards, and has featured on a billboard in Times Square, NYC. Photo: Danielle Camer.
Sophie’s mum Dr Camer says her daughter is energetic in her efforts to raise money for the Melanoma Institute Australia through a variety of means, including marching in the Wollongong Melanoma March and selling handmade bracelets at school.
“When her dad Clint was diagnosed, we started doing the Melanoma March and talked a lot about raising money for the Melanoma Institute,” she says.
“Clint would say, ‘We’re raising money to help scientists cure cancer’. Now she wants to be one of those scientists and in the meantime, to raise money to help them.
“Through all the adversity she has faced, she’s still able to do positive things. I am really proud of her, and her efforts to rise above her challenges and work to make the world a better place.”
Danielle, herself a strong advocate in raising money for the Melanoma Institute Australia in memory of her late husband has also been named a finalist in the global awards, in three categories: “Rising Star – Woman Changing the World of the Year”, “Women Changing the World in Literature – Children’s Books” and “People’s Choice Women Changing the World – Health & Wellbeing”.
The latter recognises her role as a leading senior medical writer and creative director in medical advertising, as well as her dedication to raising funds for the Melanoma Institute Australia.
Her fundraising efforts for the Wollongong Melanoma March landed her fundraising team, Team Clint, at the top of the leaderboard last year and since 2023 she has helped raise more than $10,000 for the Melanoma Institute Australia.
The people’s choice awards are judged by voting, which is open now and closes on Monday 10 March.
“I feel so honoured to even be considered a finalist for such a prestigious global award,” Danielle says. “It would be awesome if the Wollongong community could get behind me.”
The winners of the 2025 Women Changing the World Awards will be announced at the Park Hyatt London on Thursday 3 April – see the full list of finalists here.
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