Duchess Of Cambridge Embraced Mother Of Son With Autism During Place2Be Mental Health Awards | HuffPost Life

'I’ve got to give you a hug as a mum.'

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Life editor at HuffPost UK

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The Duchess of Cambridge embraced a tearful mum who explained how her son who has autism had his life changed thanks to a mental health charity.

The royal was at Place2Be’s Wellbeing in Schools Awards on Tuesday 22 November when she was touched by Ceri Knapton’s story.

Knapton’s 13-year-old son, Ethan, told the Duchess how he was bullied in school. His mum welled up as she listened to her son speak to the royal.

Eamonn M. McCormack/PA Wire

The Duchess, who has been a patron of the charity since 2013, engaged with Ethan and then leant in to give his teary mum a hug.

“The Duchess just leant over and said to me ‘I’ve got to give you a hug as a mum’,” said Knapton, according to PA.

“I couldn’t believe it, it was such a kind gesture.”

Knapton explained she teared up because she was so proud of her son.

“It was just hearing him talk,” she added, explaining that her son Ethan was a young person champion award finalist.

Eamonn M. McCormack/PA Wire

Jennie Meadows, director of communications at Place2Be told The Huffington Post UK: “Place2Be’s Wellbeing in Schools Awards were an uplifting celebration of individuals and schools, including parents and children, who do so much to champion positive mental health.

“We were delighted to have the opportunity to celebrate with our Royal Patron, and recognise these outstanding achievements. All the finalists should feel very proud.”

The Duchess said it was a “great honour” to be at the event to celebrate their “remarkable work”.

She said, according to PA: “Without many of the inspiring people gathered here this evening, countless children would not receive the transformational support in their schools.

“It is because of so many of you, that in their time of need, children have the help, care and attention that will get them through tough times in their lives.

“I am a firm believer that it is absolutely crucial to confront problems as early as possible, to prevent them from escalating into even greater issues later in life.”

Eamonn M. McCormack/PA Wire

Describing the six Young Champion finalists as “extraordinary”, the Duchess praised their resilience and said in their willingness to have open conversations have all become “mental health pioneers”.

She added: “Well done to you all. I cannot tell you how moved I was to be here this evening.”

Place2Be works with schools and provides support and expert training to improve the emotional wellbeing of pupils, families, teachers and school staff.

The awards were open exclusively to Place2Be partner schools, who were invited to nominate inspiring ambassadors who have shown a remarkable commitment to championing children and young people’s mental health.

Before You Go

This Is How Bad It Is To Be A Young Person With Mental Health Issues In 2016

Nearly a quarter of children and young people are being turned away by providers(01 of09)

Child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) are turning away nearly a quarter (23%) of all children and young people referred to them for help by parents, GPs, teachers and others.

This was often because their condition was not deemed serious enough or suitable for specialist mental health treatment. (credit:© Naufal MQ via Getty Images)

You might not be able to access specialist support if your BMI isn’t low enough(02 of09)

CentreForum noted that in some cases, support for anorexia was denied unless a young person was under a certain BMI threshold. (credit:Donald Iain Smith via Getty Images)

You might not be able to get specialist support if you’re hearing voices(03 of09)

Criteria in one area suggested those “hearing voices in the context of mild anxiety, low self-esteem or low mood” should see their GP or voluntary sector counselling service and only be referred to CAMHS if they “heard voices that command particular behaviours”. (credit:H. Armstrong Roberts/ClassicStock via Getty Images)

You might not be able to access specialist support if you've only expressed suicidal thoughts once(04 of09)

CentreForum found one CAMHS would refer people to more generic support unless they had “enduring suicidal ideation” (i.e. they had felt they wanted to commit suicide on more than one occasion). (credit:Jacques LOIC via Getty Images)

You might not be able to get specialist support if your condition hasn't reached a high level of severity(05 of09)

In some areas, referrals were not accepted unless the young person's condition was “having a major impact on the child’s life such as an inability to attend school or involving a major breakdown in family relationships”. (credit:Arvydas Kniuk?ta via Getty Images)

Maximum waiting times for services have more than doubled in the last two years(06 of09)

CentreForum's analysis of NHS Benchmarking data found that the average of the maximum waiting times for all providers has more than doubled since 2011/12. (credit:Hero Images via Getty Images)

Maximum and average waiting times vary greatly(07 of09)

Respondents reported maximum waiting times ranging from four weeks to over two and a half years. The average of these longest waiting times for each service was nearly 10 months for treatment to begin.

Average waiting times for different providers also varied widely, from two weeks in Cheshire to 19 weeks in North Staffordshire. The average waiting time in Gateshead is five times as long as for those in nearby Tyneside. Similarly, waits in London vary widely from two months in Kensington and Chelsea to nearly six months in neighbouring Brent. (credit:Aaron McCoy via Getty Images)

There were also 'hidden waits' concealed in average waiting times(08 of09)

CentreForum has uncovered that the median of the maximum waiting times for all providers was 26 weeks (6 months) for a first appointment and nearly ten months (42 weeks) for the start of treatment.

Some providers did not even measure waiting times at all, meaning that some patients could even be waiting longer than this. (credit:Jupiterimages via Getty Images)

Where you live can affect how much is spent on your treatment(09 of09)

CentreForum’s analysis of regional expenditure on mental health also revealed a North/South divide, with northern regions spending more on services while capacity problems exist in the South. (credit:Sverrir Thorolfsson Iceland via Getty Images)

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