Esme’s Umbrella Announces and Presents 2025 Student Essay Prize Winner
Esme’s Umbrella has announced and presented the winner of its 2025 Student Essay Prize, recognising outstanding understanding and insight into Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS) among future healthcare professionals.
The winner, Sheiley Chen, a Year 3 medical student at Aston University, Birmingham, was announced on 1st December 2025. Her entry impressed the judging panel with its thoughtful reflections and clear insight into CBS, demonstrating both strong clinical awareness and a compassionate approach to patient experience.
Following the announcement, Sheiley met with Judith Potts, Professor Dominic ffytche and Helen Khan on 5th February 2026, where she was formally presented with the award.
Reflecting on her future in medicine, Sheiley shared her ambition to pursue a career that combines meaningful patient contact with clinical challenge, with particular interest in Emergency Medicine, Oncology, Anaesthetics and Ophthalmology. Her approach reflects a commitment to compassionate care and improving patient outcomes.
The Esme’s Umbrella Student Essay Prize continues to play an important role in encouraging medical students to engage with Charles Bonnet Syndrome, helping to build greater awareness and understanding among the next generation of clinicians.
The charity extends its congratulations to Sheiley and thanks all students who took part in this year’s prize.