CAN T THANK YOU ENOUGH Dying dad praises BA and readers for Disney trip
A TERMINALLY ill veteran’s dying wish for a family holiday to Disney World has come true, thanks to the Sunday People and British Airways.
Lee Earnshaw, 43, given just months to live, is so grateful to our generous readers and the airline for letting him create treasured memories with his wife and three children.
They flew business class to America, stayed in a luxury resort and met Mickey and Minnie Mouse.
Lee, who was diagnosed with stage 4 incurable stomach cancer in June, and his wife Natalie, 43, also set up a crowdfunding page in a bid to help them enjoy the honeymoon they never had when they got married 19 years ago.
They and their kids – Joshua, 19, Owen, 16 and Niamh, 10 – then spent a week at a resort in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.
Lee, who put his life on the line during his 22 years in the Army, said: “The whole trip was incredible. I can’t thank the Sunday People and BA enough. It meant the world to me.”
BA Holidays arranged for the family to fly in Club World seats and stay at the Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace as part of its BA Magic 100 campaign.
Lee added: “Seeing the kids’ faces light up in business class was magic. They felt like celebrities being ushered into the lounge and were then invited into the cabin to meet the pilot, who gave my son tips on getting a flying career.
“We saw most of the park – the Magic and Animal Kingdoms and Epcot. My sons loved the rides and my daughter got to have breakfast with Minnie and Pluto.
“The amount of walking made it hard at times as I get tired.
“Sometimes I had to take a back seat and just watch as there were certain rides I couldn’t go on, but it was just so special.”
The BA Magic initiative was launched to mark the airline’s centenary year and saw 100 customers, including Lee, honoured with 100 acts of kindness during 2019.
Lee, of Doncaster, South Yorks, said: “Natalie and I couldn’t do a honeymoon when we got married as Joshua was six months old but we always fancied somewhere in the Caribbean.
“It was 31C and we relaxed by the pool in the sun and on the beach, drinking gin and tonics. I felt tanned and more relaxed than I’ve felt in months.”
The bucket list trip in November nearly didn’t happen after a 2cm tumour was detected in Lee’s brain just three weeks before. But following an operation at
Sheffield’s Royal Hallamshire Hospital, he was given the all-clear for the trip.
However, the setback saw his travel insurance rocket from £300 to £2,500.
Lee joined the Army at 18 and spent four years with the Airborne Forces before moving into logistics. He served in Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan.
In June, Lee went to his GP with a swollen leg, having cycled more than 500 miles the week before.
His world came crashing down after tests revealed he was terminally ill and all doctors could offer him was palliative care.
Lee may have had cancer for up to a decade, even while fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan. But tragically, symptoms of stomach cancer rarely show themselves until it is too late.
Lee said: “It was a bolt out of the blue. Being told by the consultant that there was nothing they could do was like an out-of-body experience. I was told in the worst case, I had just a few months left. If I was lucky, a year. “I think the first thing I said was: ‘Oh my God, I’ve got three kids’. My wife and I sat them all down individually but how do you tell your nine-year-old that Daddy is ill and isn’t going to be around forever? I hoped I’d be around for at least another 40 years.”
Lee left the Army three years ago to work for Amazon and spend more time with Natalie and the kids. His Gofundme page has surpassed £26,500 and will also cover the cost of converting the family bathroom so Lee can stay at home during his final months.
Any remaining cash will be spent on his funeral and his children’s education. Lee said: “All I want to do now is live what life I’ve got left to the full and do as much charity work as I can to leave a positive legacy for my kids.”
Donate by visiting uk.gofundme.com/f/ lee-earnshaw-cancer-battle