Eileidh gets her dream walk up the aisle
MANY young girls dream of the excitement and glamour of their perfect wedding day.
But for little Eileidh Paterson, this became a reality when she ‘married’ her best friend at the weekend.
The terminally ill five-year-old, from Forres, Moray, walked down the aisle with young Harrison Grier in a ceremony attended by a selection of ‘superheroes’.
Eileidh, who has the childhood cancer neuroblastoma, ranked marrying the sixyear-old her top priority in a ‘bucket list’ of things she wants to do.
Hundreds of well-wishers attended the ‘wedding’ at Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre on Saturday.
Eileidh was walked into the room by her older brother, Callum, to the song When You Wish Upon a Star from the Disney film Pinocchio before a fairytale-style account of her life was read aloud.
The story – written by her mother Gail Paterson – told of ‘a princess who would stop at nothing to survive’ and branded the neuroblastoma an ‘evil beast’.
Eileidh’s sister, Cerys, then read a poem before the ‘bride and groom’ exchanged necklaces and were declared ‘best friends forever’. The pair enjoyed a candy floss-filled reception at which their first dance was to Psy’s Gangnam Style.
Miss Paterson said she had feared that Eileidh would not be able to enjoy the day because blood transfusions had left her at a particularly low ebb.
The 41-year-old added: ‘She was just extremely drained but she was like a different girl during the ceremony.
‘The spectacle of it really perked her up. She was in her absolute element getting to play with other kids and have fun. These are going to be lasting memories.’
Harrison’s mother, Stefanie Grier, 29, said: ‘The two of them just have this magical bond. Harrison has always said that he loves her and that he wanted to marry her.
‘Harrison doesn’t really like to play dressup or anything like that but Eileidh has this way of convincing him. She has been telling all the nurses that she has a boyfriend and that they are going to get married.
‘They exchanged St Christopher necklaces to signify the journey that they’ve been on together. I only just managed to contain my emotions. I cried a little bit but managed to stop myself. It was such a beautiful day.’
Harrison’s father, Billy Grier, 31, said: ‘He has never been to a wedding before so this is all new to him, but it was a beautiful ceremony and he enjoyed every minute.’
Zara Grant, 32, manager of children’s entertainment firm Love Rara, managed to organise the event in only a month. She said: ‘It was amazing to see the community come together so quickly to donate their time and services. This sort of event normally takes much longer to put together so to get everything done within a month was amazing.’
Other dreams on Eileidh’s bucket list include swimming with mermaids, swimming with dolphins, playing on a beach, visiting a water park and seeing real snow.
To make a donation, visit gofundme.com/eileidhsjourney
‘They have a magical bond’