This is a dream come true for Isobel.. it’s like she’s getting back all of her Christmases
Mum thrilled over brave girl’s Lapland trip
Lapland when she was five, but it was delayed by treatment and the pandemic.
Now it has happened – with Grace, Louise and dad James, 41, by her side – Isobel couldn’t be happier.
Louise says: “We are so grateful to Make-A-Wish, they have been so wonderful granting this for Isobel. Her main wish was to see Santa’s home. She’s still a huge believer, so it was amazing.”
Louise, from Epsom, Surrey, recalls the grim day doctors revealed Isobel had leukaemia – after a run of infections.
DEVASTATING
She says: “I remember sitting in one of those rooms off of A&E and waiting for hours, watching as the doctors kept looking back at us. I knew something was wrong. When they told us, it was completely devastating, it was awful.
“Thinking back to those first few days, she was taken from her sister and was in hospital from such a young age with people sticking needles into her and pumping her full of drugs. It’s hideous trying to explain that to a little girl.”
Isobel’s first treatment was at London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital – followed swiftly by a blood transfusion at The Royal Marsden Hospital in Sutton, Surrey. “It has been absolutely brutal for her,” Louise says.
“She had endless chemotherapy and injections but one of the most traumatic things was she had to have a port fitted to access a vein through to her heart.
“That was awful. She spent a lot of time not being able to see anyone.”
Throw in the Covid lockdowns and the trip to Lapland became even more significant – and very, very special.
Louise, who works in marketing, adds: “She was just so excited. This gives back the Christmases that she lost and that’s priceless for a child.
“Going to see Father Christmas and going on a sleigh ride was just awesome for her, completely magical.”
Isobel, sadly, is far from alone in facing up to illness. Across the country, there are more than 63,000 young people who are also critically ill. Many will be in hospital this Christmas.
But with your help, we can make their festive season far cheerier.
This year’s Mirror Christmas Appeal is raising funds for Make-A-Wish.
To make such wishes come true takes an army of volunteers, supporters and donors. That’s why every penny you donate could make a difference.
Granting a wish can give a huge psychological boost, even helping children on the road to recovery.
For others it creates a special memory which makes the treatment they need more bearable. It can also give a welcome boost for parents and carers.
Make-A-Wish chief executive Jason Suckley said: “These memories are particularly important when a parent doesn’t know how much time they have left to spend with their child.
“Every donation from Mirror readers will help us create those memories – bringing light and joy to critically ill children and their families during the darkest of times.”laura.connor@reachplc.com