A seed of possibility
Ruthie, 23, has hemiplegic cerebral palsy. It was during a hospital appointment when Ruthie was just a toddler that her mum, Ali, first heard about Dreamflight.
A nurse explained that Ruthie might one day be eligible for a trip to Orlando. For Ali, the idea felt almost impossible. At a time when many conversations focused on what Ruthie might not be able to do in the future, being told she could potentially travel to America without her family was both shocking and exciting. The conversation stayed with Ali, because as a disabled person herself, she immediately recognised that Dreamflight represented far more than a trip to Orlando.
“I knew then that was a symbol of something that was going to be able to help her experience her freedom, autonomy and agency as she became older.” – Ali
When Ruthie was invited on an Orlando trip in 2016, she was 13 and navigating a particularly challenging period in her life. Frequent appointments and surgeries meant she was often missing time with her peers, and she found it difficult to keep up with friends.
“I was going through the journey of becoming a disabled young adult and working out what my life was going to look like.” – Ruthie
The confidence to fly
Whenever Ruthie had been to disability groups before they didn’t feel like the right fit for her, so she was apprehensive walking into her first Dreamflight meeting. But that feeling didn’t last long. For the first time, Ruthie was surrounded by children who were just like her.
During the trip, Ruthie felt supported by volunteers in a way that removed barriers rather than reinforced them. Through small adaptations and encouragement, they helped her to take part in activities she thought were out of reach.
“I felt like, ‘Right, you really like going on these fast roller coasters, we’ll get you on there!’ I remember being in one of the water parks, getting up to the top of a slide and thinking, how on earth am I going to get down there on a rubber ring? And one of the American volunteers said, ‘Just hold on with your arm as best as you can. I’m going to hold onto you, and I promise you’re not going to go flying!’ It was little things like that that made it feel so supportive and so lovely.” – Ruthie
Ruthie also learnt to swim in Orlando after spending time with Paralympic swimmer and Dreamflight patron Liz Johnson. Liz first experienced Dreamflight as a child and now gives back to the charity by returning each year as a volunteer.
“Seeing people like Liz having confidence and adapting – that was really inspiring to me. It felt like – here’s another strong independent woman who’s being an absolute trailblazer in her field and has gone on to achieve amazing things. It showed me that there were other people doing it, therefore I could do it too.” – Ruthie
Whilst Ruthie was away, Ali experienced a shift of her own too. For the first time in years, she wasn’t Ruthie’s primary carer and found herself with space to think about her own future and take steps towards her dream of becoming a psychotherapist.
“The first couple of days I felt lost, but I soon realised I had time to do my own things, and that as Ruthie was developing and exploring more independence for herself, I could begin to do the same for myself!” – Ali
A lasting impact
Over the course of the trip, Ruthie developed a strong bond with her guide, Ellie, and they remain close to this day. Ellie taught Ruthie that it was okay to rest, adapt and make decisions based on what was right for her.
When Ruthie returned from Dreamflight, she put those lessons into practice. With a newfound confidence, she began advocating for herself at school, securing a term of trampolining in place of other PE activities she felt would be less beneficial.
During the trip, Ruthie also shared her ambition to study law with Ellie. She believes the encouragement she received gave her the confidence to pursue her goal, and in 2024 she graduated from the University of Liverpool with a first-class honours degree.
“I wouldn’t have felt confident enough to take those steps if I hadn’t gone on Dreamflight. It’s a bit crazy to say, because I feel like if I say that to someone who hasn’t experienced Dreamflight, they’re like, ‘it’s just a trip to Florida’, but it’s so much more than that.” – Ruthie
Ali is now a qualified psychotherapist with her own practice, and she too credits Dreamflight as a real turning point for both her and Ruthie.
“2016 was Ruthie’s Dreamflight year and it became mine too! Dreamflight has given to both of us by impacting and challenging all we had come to know. Dreamflight helped support us and now through our work we help and support others too.”
“Dreamflight enabled Ruthie to learn skills so that she gained in confidence about making friends and about feeling good about being someone’s friend.
It was life-changing, learning to swim is a symbol of how it changed Ruthie’s life. She learnt life. She learnt that there was more to life than appointments, meetings, care plans, educational plans, than hospital visits, than all those things that were her structure, but also made her different to a lot of other children. She learnt she could do it. She could move on in the way that she wanted to and yeah sometimes there might need to be a bit of an adaptation but that’s fine we all need adaptations.”