A young boy from Worsley, had his greatest wish granted to be a steam driver for the day at Didcot Railway Centre in Oxfordshire, thanks to Rays of Sunshine.
12-year-old Leyton is currently living with renal failure, a condition that causes his kidneys to not function properly, and cirrhosis of the liver.
This means that he has to have dialysis twice a week and Oesophageal Varices banding twice a year. Despite this, Leyton is a very happy little boy, who is thankful for all the opportunities that he is presented with and who never complains.
When applying for Leyton’s wish, mum Rachael, commented: “Leyton goes through a lot of pain on a daily basis and cannot live the normal life of a twelve-year-old but he is a very positive little boy. We believe that he deserves a break from all his medical problems and to be able to fulfil his dreams.”
To make Leyton’s wish come true, Rays of Sunshine enlisted the help of Didcot Railway Centre, who organised a very special day for the 12-year-old. During his wish, Leyton got to enjoy a guided tour of the Centre, including the workshops and signal boxes, with an experienced guide, as well as getting the chance of a lifetime driving and firing the locomotive and being guard of the train.
After his wish, Rachael, Leyton’s mum said: “Leyton had an absolutely fantastic day and everyone involved did everything they could to make sure he had the best day ever. He got to drive the Diesel train as well as the Steam train and absolutely loved them both. The whole experience has been perfect, thank you very much, Rays of Sunshine.”
Roger Orchard, Railway Centre Manager, added: “It was our absolute pleasure to have Leyton and his family at the Railway Centre to make his wish come true of driving a real Steam Train. Leyton made a fantastic Steam Train Driver and it was great to be a part of something so positive and help Rays of Sunshine put a smile on his face.”
Rays of Sunshine Children’s Charity brightens up the lives of seriously ill children in the UK aged three to 18 years old by granting wishes, granting hospital ward wishes and organising outings and large scale events for seriously ill children, including The Rays of Sunshine Concert.
