So here we are, another year and another chance to send a group of seriously ill children on a once in a lifetime holiday to Orlando.

A small group of us will be taking part in a Wingwalk later this year to raise money for Dreamflight. This wonderful charity, which solely relies on donations, sends a group of sick children across to Florida so that they can have a holiday that they truly deserve. It takes an army of doctors, nurses, volunteers and many other people to make this dream a reality and again this year I am hoping to do my bit to help raise some funds. 

Because this will be my second Wingwalk, I will be strapped to the top of a vintage bi-plane, zooming through the sky and this time doing a loop-the-loop! Trying not to think about that bit yet!!!

Last year we smashed my fundraising target! And I’m hoping we can do the same this year. Any donation you can make is greatly appreciated and can make a huge difference. Just a couple of pounds is enough to get a drink and some popcorn in the park for a child which can really make their day.

I cannot wait to see how much we raise and help towards putting smiles on those faces ❤️✈️

EDIT - Here is my story. It’s been very hard to open up, but it’s time I did so I can share why I do it all...

In June, I will be strapped to the top of a vintage bi-plane zooming through the sky on my wingwalk and even doing a LOOP this year (trying not to think about that bit yet!)! I am once again raising money for Dreamflight so that we can send seriously ill and disabled children on a once in a lifetime holiday to Orlando.

Last year I nearly missed out on my Wingwalk because I was seriously ill myself. I was distraught at the idea of having to abandon my fundraising (even though the people that know me would have, of course, understood), but with the support of my family and the help of my doctors I managed to take part. I have mostly kept quiet about the struggles I have been faced with over the last year but I feel now is the time to open up. I have had so many ups and downs but I am a stronger person because of it. And even as ill as I am, I will do my best to make sure I can help bring some happiness to children who are growing up unwell like I was. I am proud to be raising money for such an amazing charity.

So... this year, I am still incredibly ill. I have renal failure and have been on dialysis for nearly 15 months (this means my kidneys do not work). This is very hard on my body. Most days I feel trapped inside a broken body that will not let me do any of the things I want to. Sometimes I cannot get out of bed, even make my breakfast or just wash my hair. Then, less than a year ago I found myself being taken to hospital in the middle of the night, even more unwell. At first doctors thought I had pneumonia (again) and I was in a lot more pain than I usually was. When the tests finally came back I couldn’t quite believe my ears. I was told I had TB! (Yes I had the vaccine in school and yes, like many people it wasn’t something that entered my mind of people still getting these days. Though it is very hard to catch). I was put into isolation and had limited contact with doctors/nurses/family/friends. It was even like E.T. When people had to wear what looked like hazmat suits if they were coming to see me and weren’t able to wear a face mask. (Even after being in isolation I still had to avoid people, crowds and public places for a while.)

The X-rays looked scary. Visible scarring on my lungs and calcifications. And then came the medications. These are not taken lightly, they can cause liver failure and make you go blind (among many other horrible things). It was, and is, very scary and something that I really could be doing without seeing as I’m already fighting to stay alive having kidney failure. The treatment has been a long and scary road, but there does now seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel although I’ll never be completely ‘in the clear’. My family and friends have been amazing and supportive. Some people ask me how I always manage a smile, and how I seem to take everything in my stride. For me it’s simple, I have always, always been unwell. It is the only life I have ever known. Even as a young child, I was constantly in and out of hospital. Although I cannot say it’s fun or easy to get on with, it is however, my ‘normal’. And that is the reason I go about being so unwell the way I do.

Now back to the fundraising part! I know that as a seriously unwell child, if I had been given the chance to be sent on a holiday with Dreamflight it would have meant so so much to me. It really would. This is why Dreamflight is so personal to me, because I was one of those sick children when I was younger and I will raise as much money as I can to send them away for their truly deserved holiday.

Thanks for reading ❤️✈️