From holding hands with Mickey Mouse, to cuddling Cinderella and dancing with Belle – two-year-old Georgia and her family are the second of 13 families from a local children’s hospice to have their dreams come true at Disney World – all thanks to the kindness of a stranger.
Georgia, who celebrates her third birthday in May, was joined on the trip of a lifetime – where no expense was spared – with mum Ashleigh, grandma Jayne, and big brothers Grayson, six, and Jaxon, four.
“Without this kind-hearted mystery person, our family would never have been able to go to Disney World,” said mum Ashleigh Bleasdale, of Burnley, whose daughter Georgia has been using Derian House Children’s Hospice since she was just three months old.
“Thank you is never enough – our family has been given an opportunity we would never have experienced otherwise. It has been life-changing.
“We don’t know what the future looks like for Georgia, and we are so grateful that we could make such incredible memories for her and her brothers. The person who did this is like an angel. Nobody does things like this in this life. But it proves there are kind-hearted and generous people out there.”
Last year a mystery donor set out to give one Derian House family the gift of an unforgettable Disney trip. Unable to choose, the charity invited families to share their stories and videos explaining why they deserved the chance to win the magical holiday.
Believing only one family would be chosen; the families arrived at a top-secret presentation at the hospice, where it was promised the winners would be revealed.
But smiles and happy tears filled the room as it was revealed that in fact the generous donor had decided to send all 13 families on a Disney adventure of their choice.
“We almost didn’t go to the Disney presentation, I just didn’t believe we would win – we were all in shock,” said Ashleigh.
Georgia and her family flew out to Florida on Sunday, 30 March for a fortnight – with plenty of pocket money courtesy of the mystery benefactor.
“We stayed in a beautiful villa in Florida – it was bigger than my house!” continued Ashleigh.
“And one of the best things ever was, for once, I didn’t have to say no to my children. We did absolutely everything we wanted to. And I made sure they all came home with keepsakes that would remind them of this experience forever. Georgia’s is extra special – a Disney Minnie Mouse Pandora bracelet. As she gets older, it will be a reminder of the wonderful time we had, and of the kindness that is out there in the world.
“We all absolutely loved Disney, it was a dream come true,” said Ashleigh.
“You can’t even begin to describe the scenery, the colours, and the characters. The children’s rides especially were fantastic, they were so interactive. Georgia loved the Moana water fountain trail in Epcot. She loved the music and walking through the water to cool down from the heat. We all loved the Frozen Ever After ride and the Mickey Mouse ride.
“There was an interactive meet with Belle where we got to play a role. Georgia played Chip the teacup, Grayson played a wardrobe, and I was a knight. Jaxon played the Beast and danced with Belle. He was gobsmacked, you should have seen his eyes. It was so cute, my heart melted. I think that was one of my favourite things, seeing the kids meet the characters. They were so good with them.
“We managed to get front row seats to watch the Fantasmic open air show. Georgia was absolutely mesmerised. Jaxon didn’t move once, he was so absorbed in it. We saw everything – and got wet through! It was amazing!
“We went to Sea World, we went to Peppa Pig World, Legoland, Magic Kingdom. Epcot and Hollywood Studios were my favourites. We must have walked miles and miles. I actually managed to get an evening on my own to try out the big rides which was amazing.
“While we were there the weather was so hot, and there were a couple of tropical rainstorms which were like nothing I’d heard before!” said Ashleigh.
“The villa we stayed in had everything we needed. It was just a 20 minute drive from everything at Disney. There was an amazing pool where we could relax. There was a splash park too for toddlers that Georgia loved. The kids absolutely loved it all. It was like a home from home too, as I needed a kitchen for Georgia’s needs. There was a washing machine, so we had nothing to wash when we came home.
“I can’t tell you how much this holiday has meant to us all. Thank you will never be enough. For a mystery donor to make our dreams come true, and the dreams of other Derian House families, is just incredible. These memories will stay with us forever. I’m just so grateful.”
Karen Edwards, Chief Executive at Derian House, said, “For our families, to be able to make special memories on a Disney holiday is absolutely priceless – it truly means the world. We are so happy that Georgia and her family had such a magical time.
“We are all overwhelmed by the generosity of our mystery donor – this is an absolutely incredible gesture that will always be remembered. Our children and their families face incredibly tough challenges every day, and for someone to make this dream come true is beyond wonderful. We can’t express how grateful we are.”
Derian House, based in Chorley, Lancashire, cares for more than 400 seriously ill babies, children, young people and their families from across the North West helping them to make the most of every moment.
