Andy’s Children’s Unit and Make a Wish Foundation help patient have experience of a lifetime
Andy’s Children’s Unit patient, Noah Nicholson, recently went on the trip of a lifetime thanks to the Make a Wish Foundation. With the help of Andy’s, Noah was granted a Disney experience full of magic.
Noah, who is five years old, has been coming to Andy’s for the past four years. Elinor Whitaker, Head of Children’s Services, reached out to Noah’s mother, Tracy, asking if Noah would like to be referred for the experience. Tracy immediately said, “yes please!”. From there, Andy’s sorted all the paperwork for the application.
“It was super easy and stress free,” Tracy said, “Andy’s sorted everything for us. Once the application was accepted, we were put in touch with the Make a Wish team.”
Noah, along with mum and dad, travelled down to Staffordshire for the Disney Experience. Once there, they were greeted by a whole host of characters who they were able to meet and take photos with, as well as watch some unforgettable shows. In the evening, all the children were invited to hear bedtime stories from Mickey Mouse, before heading to bed to get some much-needed sleep before a fun filled day.
“We were staying in a really nice hotel and all our meals throughout the trip were included. We were really looked after,” Tracy said, “We then had the full next day with the characters and watching all the shows. There was a Frozen sing-along and story time with Beauty and the Beast, it was so lovely.”
Tracy described the experience as a dream come true, explaining that, “with Noah’s condition, it makes trips abroad very difficult as things can change rapidly. We worried that he would miss out on things because of this but this experience has topped anything we could have imagined!
“It was so personal; all the characters and the Make a Wish team took the time to learn every child’s name. We also got to spend at least 10 minutes chatting with each character after photos, there was no rushing.”
And what was Noah’s favourite part of the trip? Meeting Cinderella!
“As soon as he saw Cinderella, he said, “you’re so beautiful, I love you” and gave her a kiss on the cheek,” Tracy laughed. “It was a truly amazing trip, a dream come true for Noah and for us.”
At Andy’s, our motto is making each day count and we’re proud to have been able to help Noah and his family gain lasting memories.