Terminally ill Gosport boy is 'excited' to receive trip to Legoland
A TERMINALLY ill boy from Gosport could not contain his excitement after discovering he had been gifted a trip to Legoland as part of a national award.
‘Brave’ 12-year-old Jamie Ancill cheered as he was handed a large box of Lego and told the news by his mum Emily.
Jamie, who also has autism and other special needs, was diagnosed with medulloblastoma – a childhood brain tumour, after Specsavers Whiteley store director Lee Johnston discovered last year that he swollen optic nerves and immediately referred him to hospital.
He underwent two brain surgeries and spent almost two weeks in paediatric intensive care unit, before having chemotherapy and radiotherapy for six weeks in UCLH London, and then a further six months of intensive chemotherapy.
This year, his brave determination and sunny personality inspired the opticians so much, they nominated him for the company’s Big Christmas Give for which staff presented him with a special pass to Legoland and a big box of Lego.
Mum Emily said: ‘I was really overwhelmed and I cried when they told me. I thought it was incredibly kind of them to think of Jamie. I knew that Jamie would be very grateful and excited when he found out.
‘He’s going to love the trip to Legoland. To be able to experience something like this will definitely make his day. He will be one very excited and happy little boy. I think it’s extremely important for Jamie to experience the best of what life has to offer and to do everything he wants with the time he has left.’
Emily added: ‘If it wasn’t for the staff diagnosing Jamie when they did, his life might have been cut shorter than it already is. What they did was to give me precious time and gave Jamie a little longer to experience more of life.’
Lee Johnston, director at the Specsavers Whiteley store, said: ‘We wanted to make Jamie and Emily smile and be aware that while we help them, they also help us by being so inspiring. They really do deserve the chance to feel celebrated and, hopefully, the time at Legoland will give them an amazing break.’
A blog about Jamie’s experiences can be found on Facebook, entitled ‘Life in the A Lane’.