A Wish Come True For Isaac

WHEN Isaac Wright was granted a wish to celebrate the end of three long years of cancer treatment, he knew exactly what he wanted.

The youngster - who was diagnosed with leukaemia aged just three years old - had fallen in love with swimming after gruelling chemotherapy left his legs too weakened to walk.

Regular trips to a hydrotherapy pool had helped Isaac regain both a sense of mobility and his strength.

When the charity Make-A-Wish UK - which is supported by players of People's Postcode Lottery - offered the youngster a dream experience, his mum said it was no surprise when he asked to go on holiday - to somewhere with a pool.

Devoted mum Christine said: "Make-A-Wish arranged for us to spend five days at a Centre Parcs resort and every day Isaac was in that pool.

"To see him splashing around - having fun on the water slides, the lazy river, the pirate ship - was just amazing.

"Every morning he would ask, 'Can we go to the pool? Can we go to the pool?' - so every day we went.

"He was obsessed, but it was so wonderful to see him having such fun in the water.

"We are so grateful to Make-A-Wish and to players of People's Postcode Lottery."

Nurse Christine, 46, admits she and husband Jay, 43, hadn't been overly worried when in August 2019 she took Isaac to the GP after spotting his tummy felt unusually swollen.

She said: "His diagnosis was a real shock as he didn't appear to be unwell, but he had a protruding belly, which felt rock-solid to the touch.

"The GP thought it might just be wind, but as she was examining him she became concerned about a few red spots she saw on his body.

"She did a test for meningitis, and when she was happy the spots weren't that, she told me to keep a close eye on them.

"She said if they started to cluster together - or if he got more - then I was to take him straight to hospital."

Over the next few days, clusters of similar spots did start to appear, so Christine took Isaac to the accident and emergency department closest to their home in Rochester, Kent.

She said: "When we arrived at the hospital I was expecting to be quickly sent back home - but we didn't get home for a month.

"We were told Isaac had acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. It turned out his rock-hard belly was an enlarged spleen and liver that were trying to cope with all the toxins in his body.

"We were warned Isaac was unwell, and that night he was blue-lighted to St George's Hospital in London where he was taken to the intensive care unit.

"The speed everything happened was terrifying, but we are so thankful for all the care and treatment he received."

After a harrowing month of life-saving treatment, his family were hugely relieved to be told he was in remission.

To stop the cancer from returning, he spent the next three years and three months undergoing maintenance treatment - including numerous surgeries and chemotherapy.

One of the treatments caused his leg muscles to weaken so much he was left in need of a wheelchair. Swimming was a perfect remedy.

Christine said: "Isaac had always been a water baby, but suddenly being in the water gave him back the freedom to move again and he just couldn't get enough.

"Because his immune system was so weakened we couldn't take him to an ordinary swimming pool, but we were invited to use the therapy pool at a children's hospice in our area. It really was the best therapy."

As Isaac, who turns nine this month, neared the end of his treatment, nurses told his parents Make-A-Wish wanted to bring him some joy.

The charity provides what it hopes will be magical memories or special gifts for youngsters diagnosed with a life-threatening or critical illness. The charity has granted wishes that include becoming a princess for a day, meeting sporting or showbiz heroes, flying in a spitfire plane, searching for the Loch Ness Monster, and even visiting Lapland.

When Isaac chose a holiday with a pool, his family asked that the dream break wait until he was strong enough to fully enjoy it.

Earlier this year he spent five days with his parents at one of Centre Parcs woodland holiday retreats.

Christine said: "Isaac was diagnosed just weeks before his fourth birthday and received treatment for the next three years of his life.

"During that time, going on holiday was never an option, and Isaac was too young to remember the holidays we'd been on before he was ill.

"For the three of us to know we were heading off on holiday to a lodge in the woods was such a wonderful thing to look forward to.

"In a way, you feel the weight of the wish, you want him to love it so much and get absolutely everything out of it, and he really did.

"Aside from being obsessed with the pool, Isaac's very creative and enjoyed doing pottery painting while there. He even just loved being surrounded by nature and seeing the wildlife, including the deer and squirrels."

She added: "Isaac's such a thoughtful boy, so kind and hilarious too.

"He loves maths and drawing, and while physically he doesn't have the stamina of his friends, he is getting stronger all the time.

"We are so proud of the way Isaac has coped with all he has been through.

"After such a traumatic time, Make-A-Wish gave us something wonderful to look forward to, and a chance to create some really good memories.

"The wish brought Isaac such absolute joy and we'll always be thankful for that."

Players of People's Postcode Lottery have raised £900,000 for Make-A-Wish to help the charity grant thousands of wishes for critically ill children across the UK.

Jason Suckley, CEO of Make-A-Wish UK, said: "We're incredibly grateful for the support of players of People's Postcode Lottery.

"The demand for wishes is outpacing our best efforts to keep up, so it's taking us longer to grant wishes. But the reality is that many families simply can't wait this long.

"The funds raised by players of People's Postcode Lottery will help us to grant more wishes for families and provide strength during their toughest times. We're incredibly grateful for their support."

Making A Difference

People's Postcode Lottery players are helping deserving causes like Make-A-Wish UK make a difference every single day. Read more about the range of Charities our players support.

Related Links

• Make-A-Wish UK website