I wish to go sightseeing in London
Five-year-old Oliver from the UK, lives with a degenerative muscle condition. Whilst he’s able to walk short distances now, his condition will likely see him unable to as he grows older. That’s why his wish to go sightseeing in London is so important: he can enjoy seeing all that London has to offer before his condition takes its toll on his body. As Dad George told us, “Oliver loves observing and looking around, so he would love visiting London and looking at all the large structures!”
Oliver was born without a vital protein, dystrophin, that helps keep muscle cells intact. Because of this, he now lives with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a rare genetic condition that sees the body’s muscles progressively weaken. Whilst Oliver can now walk a short distance, his mobility is expected to deteriorate as he grows older. Currently, Oliver’s speech is limited, and he relies heavily on his Mum and Dad to communicate for him.
But this doesn’t stop Oliver from being a curious little boy. As dad told us, “Oliver loves looking around!” A tight-knit family, his parents knew that Oliver would love to do something with his family. So, Dad thought that a weekend in London where Oliver and his two brothers, ten-year-old Jayden and three-year-old Harley, can check out the London Eye and Big Ben, would be perfect!
Whilst full of excitement about his wish, both Oliver and his brothers were thrilled to be traveling into London by train. As Dad explained, “The boys love trains, but we rarely get to go on one.”
After enjoying a thrilling train ride from their home in Leicester to London St. Pancras, the family were picked up by Limo, seeing the grand sights of London before checking into their hotel, the highly regarded Marylebone Nobu. The family was then collected by Limo for a highly anticipated trip on the London Eye, taking in all of London’s sights and views. The sightseeing-filled weekend continued the next day, with a bountiful breakfast at the Nobu, followed by a Thames River Cruise and dinner at Nando’s.
The next day, the family enjoyed the thrills of Shrek’s Adventure before heading for dinner at the famous Hard Rock Cafe. The final day of their memory-making making a long weekend started with a photoshoot, allowing the family to commemorate Oliver’s wish, before heading back home via train to Leicester. The wish came at a crucial time for Oliver and his family, impacting his ability to communicate and walk, Oliver may not be able to experience a fun-filled sight-seeing getaway as he grows older. Going on his wish meant that he could share this experience with his family, allowing them to make memories of fun-filled weekends together whilst Oliver still could.
As Dad told us “Thank you ever so much for all you did to give us such an incredible weekend as a family in London, we shall never forget the experience that Make-A-Wish has given to us as a family. We couldn’t have wished for a better experience.”
Wishes are proven to bring lasting joy and positive emotions to children like Oliver and their families. Please consider making a donation today to help more children experience the power of a wish come true.