A TERMINALLY ill six-year-old from Blackburn will get his dream holiday to Benidorm thanks to the generosity of the East Lancashire public.
McCauley Riley, of Bolton Road, Ewood, suffers from Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), which affects one in 30,000 children in the UK.
The diagnosis means his brain is shutting down – he has already lost vision and mobility – and has a life expectancy of between a few months and a few years.
Thanks to £700 from the charity screening of Blackburn comedy Tash Force, a non-uniform day at Mount Carmel High School in Accrington, and donations from friends and family, next week he will fly out to the hotel used in ITV series Benidorm for an 11-night holiday.
Dad Wayne, 35, said: “It’s always been his dream to stay at the hotel and to meet the cast, but they’re only filming in October, and that’s probably going to be too late, to be honest.
“But he’s so excited he’s going and can’t wait to get on the plane, because he thinks he’s flying it!
“Unfortunately he won’t be able to see much when we’re there because he has been registered blind, but he’ll still know he’s at the hotel where it’s filmed.”
Wayne added: “His condition has got worse and we’re taking him to see a specialist soon.
“We’re so grateful to Ian Wiggins for the film proceeds donation and to Danielle Kay for the non-uniform day, and to everybody else who has donated.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here