A young boy’s Disney dream came true when he jetted off on a family trip made possible by those who dug deep to help them.
Thousands of pounds, raised through donations and pub events, paid for terminally ill Jamie Hodgson to go to Disney World in Florida with parents Christine and Eddie, and the 11-year-old’s big sisters Michelle, 24, and Jodie, 14.
Christine said: “It meant the world to us to see Jamie’s smiles and the enjoyment he got from being there.”
Doctors do not know how long the youngster, who suffers from a string of medical conditions, has to live which means his parents are determined to make every day as special as possible.
Jamie, who lives with his family in Meadow Close, Tring, suffers from congenital heart disease and other medical conditions.
His parents raised two thirds of the cash needed for the two-week holiday, which cost more than £14,000, by drumming up support through Twitter, which was backed by celebrities like Simply Red’s Mick Hucknall and Paloma Faith.
The rest of the money came from fundraising at The Bell in Tring, The Three Blackbirds in Boxmoor and The Old Bell in Hemel Hempstead’s Old Town.
During the trip Jamie was treated like a VIP. He got to open one of the Disney parks in the morning, met cartoon favourite Barney backstage, joined dancers in the Lion King show and, of course, got up close with Mickey and Minnie.
Christine said: “A very big thank you from the bottom of our hearts to the people who helped make Jamie’s dream come true and enrich his life even more. It will be memories we will have forever.”