When Georgie received her invitation to join Dreamflight on a holiday to Orlando in 2014, she was thrilled, and just a little bit scared. “I had never been away from my parents and worried I wouldn’t make any friends, how wrong was I?”
Living with Cerebral Palsy, Erb’s Palsy and Dystonia means Georgie faces daily challenges with her speech, walking, and balance. Everyday tasks, such as tying shoelaces, climbing stairs, or holding a cup, can be difficult. “I struggled in school because I wasn’t very confident about my disability,” she reflected. “It made me very lonely, and I found it hard to make friends.”
Once in Florida, Georgie’s worries soon faded away. She explained: “I made so many friends, and we did so many exciting things. The volunteers were really kind and caring to us all; Neil did funny Mr Motivator routines on the coach!”
From the kindness of volunteers to the joy of meeting Peter Pan and swimming with dolphins, Georgie’s Dreamflight trip was packed with magical moments. By the end of the 10 days, she was dressing herself, showering independently, and embracing a newfound confidence. “I could feel a change in myself. My mum was so shocked when I got home and said, ‘I can dress myself now!’”
But the transformation didn’t end there. Georgie returned to school with a new sense of purpose. She joined sports clubs, signed up for the Duke of Edinburgh Award, and took up drama. “There was no stopping me!” In 2015, she was named Sports Person of the Year in the Barking and Dagenham Sports Awards, and she has won numerous medals over the years too.
Now 25, Georgie is the director of This Girl’s Ability, a club she helped create for girls with disabilities aged 8 to 25. They offer free sessions in football, swimming, multi-sports, and social events. She’s also a trustee at her local drama club, she shared: “Life is pretty great. At 14, I could never have imagined this.”
“Dreamflight changed my life. The whole experience made me feel like I belonged and mattered. Being with children who were also fighting their own battles made me feel that I wasn’t alone, and it gave me the thing you just can’t buy – confidence within myself.”
To every child embarking on a Dreamflight holiday. Georgie has some advice: “Enjoy every moment, you are going to have a trip of a lifetime!”
“Wish it, dream it, do it, and always remember you do not have to fit into this world; the world should fit into you.”