Fairytale wish for dying girl
5-year-old’s dying wish comes true Adorable Ad bl Eil Eileidh idh forgot about her cancer battle for one day as she ‘married’ best friend Harrison
The start of the gorgeous “wedding” of Eileidh Paterson to her best friend Harrison Grier was marked by a lone piper, as friends and family, in a procession of superhero and princess costumes, gathered at the makeshift altar.
As When You Wish Upon A Star from Disney’s Pinocchio played, Eileidh was walked into the room by her older brother Callum.
This was a dream come true for the five-year-old, who made her bucket list after discovering her childhood cancer, neuroblastoma, was terminal. Top of the list was “marrying” her best friend Harrison, six. As far as Eileidh was concerned, it was the most important thing she had to do.
“Harrison has never been to a wedding before, so this is all ne new to him,him but it was a beautiful ceremony and he enjoyed every minute,” Harrison’s dad Billy Grier, 31, says.
“He was quite excited to do it. Ever since he met Eileidh, they have been inseparable. I think he knew what was going on. He certainly knew how important it was to her and wanted to do whatever he could for her.”
Close friends and family watched as the children, from Forres in Scotland, held hands and exchanged St Christopher necklaces before being officially declared “best friends forever”. The ceremony also featured a version of Eileidh’s life story, written in the style of a fairytale. Penned by Eileidh’s mum Gail Paterson, 41, it referred to the cancer that will ultimately cut her young life short as the “evil beast”. It was a real family affair with Eileidh’s sister Cerys reading a poem ending with the poignant words, “Even if we are apart, I will always be with you.” After the service, Eileidh and Harrison, along with 200 guests, celebrated with fairy floss. The adorable pair then took to the dance floor and started the party off with their first dance to Psy’s Gangnam Style. “The spectacle of it really perked her up, she was in her absolute element getting to play with other kids and have fun,” Gail explains, adding Eileidh had a particularly difficult day just a week before due to having blood transfusions, which raised concerns she may not be able to enjoy her big day.
“She was just extremely drained, but she was like a different girl during the ceremony,” Gail says.
Harrison’s mum Stefanie Grier, 29, says her son always wanted to “marry” little Eileidh. “The two of them just have this magical bond,” she reveals. “Harrison has always said that he loves her and that he wanted to marry her. I only just managed to contain my emotions. I cried a little bit but managed to stop myself. It was such a beautiful day.”
Having ticked her fairytale wedding as well as swimming with mermaids off her bucket list, Eileidh’s other dreams include swimming with dolphins, playing on a beach, visiting a water park, seeing real snow and being a zoo keeper for a day.
Gail describes her daughter as “a princess who would stop at nothing to survive” and she’ll do everything she can to create special memories and experiences for her precious little girl.
“These are going to be lasting memories,” Gail says.
‘Ever since Harrison met Eileidh, they have been inseparable’