A difficult start to life
Elliot is 11 years old and was born with severe clubfoot and neuropathy, which weakens his lower limbs. Due to his neuropathy, Elliot gets extremely tired and finds physical activities difficult. He wears splints every day to help with mobility, but they can be quite restrictive.
Sadly, no conservative treatments were able to help with Elliot’s feet, so he had to undergo multiple surgeries, one when he was just 12 weeks old and two in 2023. Each surgery was followed by a slow and demanding rehabilitation.
“The surgeries had a big impact on Elliot; he had hours of physiotherapy to walk again, and there is further surgery planned.” – Elliot’s mum, Vicky
Early in 2024, Elliot’s physiotherapist decided to nominate him to go on Dreamflight. The following July, Elliot received his invitation to the holiday of a lifetime with the Donald Duck group, and he was over the moon. But panic set in when he realised his mum and dad weren’t going with him. He’d never been away without his parents before.
A priceless experience
Once in Florida, Elliot soon found his stride. He made friends, tried new things (including yummy churros) and even swam with dolphins.
“I was missing Mum and Dad, but the kind and caring volunteers helped me all the way. Susan was the best Mummy Duck.” – Elliot
One of Elliot’s proudest moments on his trip was performing ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’ by Queen on stage, in front of over 400 children and volunteers at the ‘Dreamflight’s Got Talent’ night.
A new-found confidence
Back home, the transformation was clear. His performance on the Dreamflight stage gave Elliot the confidence to play the lead villain in his primary school leaver’s show. Elliot even joined a para-football team and qualified for the national championships in dressage with his horse, Harry.
Vicky also saw a positive change in Elliot. She shared:
“He is much more independent and can handle group situations better. Dreamflight has made a life-changing impact on our son. He is less anxious and more willing to try new things.”
“The experience is priceless. Our children are superheroes dealing with their illnesses or disabilities and deserve this opportunity of a lifetime.”
Inspired by the changes she’s seen in Elliot, Vicky has signed up to a 5k run to help more children experience the same life‑changing trip. Click here to help Vicky reach her £500 fundraising target.