Make-A-Wish teen meets and hugs his favorite Disney characters

The teenager was selected to be part of an immersive experience thanks to a partnership between Disney UK and Make-A-Wish UK.

A teenager with a rare brain disorder had cuddles with Winnie the Pooh and danced with Cinderella after being selected to take part in an immersive Disney experience.

Barney Gardner, 14, suffers from a condition called lissencephaly, characterized by smooth brain surfaces and was able to spend Sunday to Tuesday meeting some of his favorite Disney characters thanks to a partnership between Disney UK and Make-A-Wish UK .

Disney UK and Make-A-Wish UK have joined forces to bring A Disney Wish, a unique Disney experience running from June 5-15 for more than 200 wish children from across the UK living with a serious illness.

Families were welcomed to the event which takes place at Hoar Cross Hall, a hotel in Staffordshire, in three-day cycles.

Barney's mother, Beverley Gardner, who is 45 and supports children with additional needs as well as supply work as a teaching assistant at Barney's school, told the PA news agency that she had a normal pregnancy and everything was “absolutely fine” until Barney transformed. six months old.

“He started having a few seizures and he was about six months old when he was diagnosed,” said Ms Gardner, who lives with her family in Ashton under Hill, Worcestershire.

“We were told at that time that he would probably only live two years as it is a life-limiting illness.

“He’s 14 now, so we feel completely lucky to still have him and we live every day to the fullest, we still look for opportunities and we still make memories.”

This experience came about because watching Disney is Barney's “favorite pastime” and his family wanted to find him a Disney-related event that didn't require him to travel overseas.

Ms Gardner said a support worker helping the family discovered A Disney Wish on the Make-A-Wish UK website and submitted an application around April, with the family quickly finding out they had been selected to do part of the experience.

She said the hotel stay had been “amazing” and a program of activities had been arranged so her son could meet his favorite characters, including Belle from Beauty and the Beast, who he met during story time Monday.

“She’s probably one of his favorites and in the end we managed to get him out of his wheelchair and he got on a beanbag in the front row,” she said.

“The storytelling and the way they brought it all to life was absolutely fantastic, and then the princesses all came in at the end and Cinderella chose Barney to dance, so she was dancing with him in his wheelchair.

“He couldn’t take his eyes off her and then he got to meet and greet all the other princesses one-on-one.”

Other highlights for youngsters include “cuddles” with Winnie the Pooh and Eeyore and time spent with Mickey Mouse.

Eeyore also hugged Barney's father Andy, which Ms. Gardner said felt like “a really good pat on the back, like saying you're doing a good job.”

She said opportunities like this are “so valuable” to help create memories.

“Barney gets sick quite often; he has a lot of breathing problems and we never know when these terrible times are going to come, so giving us something like this means we have memories to take with us forever,” she added.

Mr Gardner, who is his son's primary carer and works part-time at B&Q as a sales advisor, told PA: “[The experience] was fantastic and Barney took his time to appreciate everything.

Sara Hanson, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at Disney EMEA, added that it was a “privilege” to bring the “magic” of Disney to families through this experience.

“What I notice while walking is how many times families tell you that this is the first time their child has taken a ride or the first time they have seen a full show,” he said. -she declared.

“What makes this event so special is that we can take this time and really tailor this experience to the child, which I think gives people a lot of opportunities to experience those first moments that they otherwise wouldn't be able to. maybe not live anywhere else.”

To find out more visit www.make-a-wish.org.uk