A FALMOUTH teenager who failed to let major surgery stand in her way, will be living a dream in September when she takes up a place at the Royal College of Music.

Sophie Hunt's instrument of choice is the oboe, which she has been playing since she was nine. Now 18 and studying for A-levels at Truro College, Sophie's journey to London has been plagued by medical setbacks.

When she was just 13, she had major surgery on her chest at the Great Ormond Street Hospital after it was discovered her ribcage was growing inwards, putting pressure on her heart and lungs. The condition it is called pectus excavatum.

"This hereditary condition is rare and even rarer to need surgical correction," said Sophie's mum, Clare, of Elm Villas.

"She had a metal bar inserted into her chest to push it back out, which was removed after two years when the correction had stabilised."

Even at that age, Sophie was determined to keep up with her practice and was back playing the oboe within 10 days of the surgery, even though she was on pain killers for several months after. That was not the end of her medical problems, however. A year after having the bar insertion, Sophie had to have further gastric surgery to correct a reflux condition brought on as a result of the chest deformity.

Once again, though, she bounced back and was playing her oboe again within weeks.

Speaking this week, Sophie said quite modestly: "I did not really let it hold me back at all. I just pushed through it."

Sophie is now "pretty much OK" and is delighted to have been offered the place at the Royal College of Music (RCM).

It means she will be turning down other offers as the RCM was her first choice. She will start a four year degree course in September. Sophie plays lead oboe in several local orchestras as well as the Cornwall Youth Orchestra.

At Christmas she was invited to play with the British Philharmonia Orchestra at the Hall for Cornwall and was recently named overall instrument champion at the Truro Music Festival.

She has been helped along the way by the Radford Trust, EMI Sound, Cornwall Music Foundation and the Lord Lieutenant's Trust, which helped her buy a professional oboe.

Asked about her future ambitions, Sophie said: "I would like to travel, hopefully with an orchestra as a professional. I'll just have to wait to see what happens."

Another reason Sophie's achievement is quite so remarkable is that she has had to find time to practise while surrounded by a huge family.

Her parents, Clare and Francis have 11 other children – Tom, Lucy, Amy, Christopher, Emily, Oliver, Chloe, Isabel, Edwin, Patrick and Oscar – ranging in age from 21 years, down to nine months.