Christmas is a time of hope and togetherness – and this year, we are asking readers to dig deep and help make dreams come true.
We have joined forces with the Make-A-Wish UK charity to bring some seasonal cheer to critically ill children across the country.
More than 63,000 young people will be spending what should be a special time of year in hospital, undergoing treatment, scans or blood tests. But with your help we can give them a Christmas they will always remember.
Your donations will help youngsters like leukaemia sufferer Isobel Dawson, eight, who had never experienced the true joy of Christmas until the charity helped her travel to Lapland to meet Santa.
Self-confessed chocolate-lover Sophia Rubani, five, was given a special day out after melting the hearts of nurses while she was in hospital to have a transplant.
And gaming-mad Sunil Parkash, 18, was over the moon to receive a brand new PlayStation 5 last year for what would sadly be his final Christmas.
Sunil’s mum Sindy said: “Make-A-Wish made Sunil’s last Christmas really special. Readers’ donations can transform other children’s Christmases this year.”
It gave us light in the darkness
At the age of 10, Sunil Parkash was diagnosed with a rare inherited condition called spinocerebellar ataxia type 2.
Tragically, he passed away in August but Make-A-Wish made the 18-year-old’s final months more bearable by gifting him a PlayStation 5, new TV and some games.
Covid stopped Sunil’s dream wish of meeting the cast of his favourite TV show, EastEnders. But the games console made his last Christmas magical, and Sunil loved nothing more than playing Rocket League and Fortnite with his 11-year-old brother Rav, who helped him hold the controller.
Mum Sindy, of Sutton Coldfield, West Mids, told how Sunil’s condition was “like dealing with something where the light is slowly dimming”.
She said: “He once told me he already felt dead. It never leaves you, hearing that, but he was surrounded by so much love and that was what got us through the hardest days. The wish made a huge difference to Sunil’s happiness last Christmas and I really hope other families are able to see their wishes come true.
“It just gave us that light to make us happy in a very dark situation.”
Jason Suckley, chief executive of Make-AWish UK, told how it was “heartbreaking” to have to suspend referrals during lockdown.
He said: “We never want to be in a position where we have to say no to a family again.
"We’re now at a crucial tipping point where we need the country’s support to help us provide light and joy to all those who have had their childhoods stolen by the diagnosis of a critical condition.
“We urge everyone who can to get involved and help us achieve our vision of granting a wish for every eligible child."
Magical trip to see Santa
The festive season isn’t usually much fun for Isobel Dawson, who has spent just two of her eight Christmases at home with her family.
Since being diagnosed with leukaemia, the youngster has had to open her presents in hospital while wired up to machines, instead of enjoying all the excitement of the day with her big sister Grace, 11.
Isobel was diagnosed with leukaemia when she was just three – but this week, she went on a magical trip to Lapland to meet Santa, thanks to Make-A-Wish.
Mum Louise said: “Isobel has had the most incredible time – meeting Santa was definitely her highlight. He had already received her letter so he read it back to her – she asked him for a Playmobil Pony Farm.
“She was so excited to meet him, it was really magical. The second most special thing was the husky ride – it was absolutely magical.
“It has made her really excited for Christmas, in a way she hasn’t been excited for Christmas before. It’s like Isobel is getting all her Christmases back.”
Describing previous years, Louise said: “We spent so much time in hospital that I remember her telling me she didn’t get excited about Christmas.
“We would rush home in between visits to try and decorate the tree and make things special for her but she never really got to enjoy it so this is an amazing dream come true.”
Isobel first asked to visit Santa after she had a platelet transfusion when she was five, but due to the pandemic, it couldn’t happen until now.
Louise, of Epsom, Surrey, added: “We are so greateful to Make-A-Wish - they have been so wonderful granting this wish for Isobel."
Sophia gets sweet treat
Little Sophia Rubani knew just what she wanted when asked how Make-A-Wish could make her dream come true… chocolate, and lots of it!
The five-year-old, who was diagnosed with heart failure when she was just 10 weeks old, got a taste for the sweet stuff when nurses promised her chocolate custard after her heart transplant in 2019.
Today, lively Sophia, from Harrow, North West London, continues to be fed through a tube to boost her strength and still loves to top up her energy with sweet treats – especially chocolate.
The youngster was nominated for a wish by one of the nurses at Great Ormond Street Hospital – and in October, Sophia and her sisters Zahra, 11, and Aisha, nine, enjoyed a special party at Hotel Chocolat’s School of Chocolate in London.
Sophia’s mum, Taz Amin, said: “She had the most amazing day and it gave her respite from her life-limiting condition. Heart transplants only last maybe 10 to 20 years but I don’t think about it too much – we take every day as it comes.
“Every day is an extension of her life so that is a blessing to us.
“I would just love to see other children get their wish come true, like Sophia did."
