United Kingdom: The National Health Service Highland introduced Paediatric Long Term Ventilation and Exceptional Health Needs Specialist Nurse Samantha Wilson. She has been treating her three paediatric patients in Orlando from NHS Highland area through Dreamflight Organisation.
The NHS Highland recognised her volunteering support and remarked on her experience in helping people by treating their ailments. They also highlighted the Dreamflight Organisation’s initiative through which Samantha could volunteer and support.
Dreamflight is a UK charity that takes children with a severe illness or disability on their holiday of a lifetime to Orlando.
It gives one an experience that can be life-changing and offers young people an opportunity to do something that medicine can’t: discover independence, confidence and a new outlook.
Often, for the first time, they realise that they are not the odd one out. They gain perspective and experience things that they never thought possible.
This Organisation provides the opportunity for children to develop independence, build their self-confidence and gain a new outlook on life. Many Dreamflight children return from the trip and start to look past their illness or disability for the first time.
Over the years, the Organisation has made numerous impacts. It has:-
- Over 6,400 children have been on their Dreamflight since 1987
- 192 children are supported each year
- £1,546,318 was raised in 2022-2023 (£423,182 in 2021-2022 due to the pandemic)
- Dreamflight is helped by 200+ regular volunteers
- In all of the recent Paralympic Games, the medal-winners have included former Dreamflight children
Each October, 192 children from across the UK board Dreamflight’s privately-hired aircraft to Orlando.
Parents are not allowed, but instead, a huge volunteer team of doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and other helpers look after the children for ten days. Their volunteers and supporters fundraise for the charity year-round to make the trip happen.
Children can be nominated for future trips through their specialist healthcare team.
To find out more about this charity and what they do, visit– www.dreamflight.org
