Schoolgirl Olivia Fleming is to put nearly three years of cancer treatment behind her as she travels to Disney World on Saturday to make a dream come true.
Olivia, ten, of White Horse Way, Devizes, is to go on a holiday of a lifetime with her family thanks to the Make A Wish Foundation.
She was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2011 but six months ago went in to remission and is now looking forward to swimming with dolphins in Florida.
Her mother, Shona, 42, said: “We were offered a trip last year but we wanted to wait until Olivia was well enough to really enjoy it. She has been through a very tough time with lots of treatment that made her hair fall out but she has been very brave.
“We have been given special permission by the school to take the holiday.”
Her father, Adrian, 47, said: “She has had a few times when she has been upset and a bit down but she has coped very well and we are all proud of her.”
She will be joined on the trip by her sister Emily, nine, and twin brothers Connor and Ashton, three.
Olivia, who is a pupil at St Joseph’s Primary School, Devizes, was diagnosed after a large bump on her head failed to go down. At first doctors were not worried and thought it would get better but she was eventually referred to Salisbury District Hospital where Dr Nick Brown was concerned about the lump and ordered a biopsy.
The news the family was dreading came just before Olivia’s eighth birthday in December 2011. They were allowed to celebrate her birthday and Christmas before she was admitted to Southampton General Hospital for her first rounds of chemotherapy.
Mrs Fleming said: “We were told that the type of leukaemia she had was the most treatable and it was good that it was caught early but there have been some very difficult times over the years.”
Olivia said: “I am really looking forward to swimming with the dolphins and seeing all the Disney characters.”
The family have nothing but praise for Southampton Hospital, but say they have sympathy for the family of Ashya King who fled the hospital to get treatment for his brain tumour.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here