'Holiday of a lifetime' for Bahraini children.

Byline: REBECCA TORR

A UK charity has offered two seriously ill Bahraini children the chance to enjoy a 'holiday of a lifetime' in Orlando, Florida, US, this year.

The holiday includes two days of sightseeing in London and then 10 days in Orlando, where they will go to popular destinations including Disney World, Universal Studios, Sea World and Blizzard Beach.

The children, who will be nominated by Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC), will join 194 other seriously ill and disabled children from the UK, Hong Kong and Chernobyl, Ukraine.

This is the ninth year the British charity Dreamflight has offered places to Bahraini children.

Bahrainis Ahmed Abdul Aziz and Mahmood Sehlan were last year's youngsters selected for the trip.

Dreamflight Bahrain co-ordinator Deborah Beedie said 16 Bahraini children with conditions such as leukaemia, brain tumours and thalassemia had gone on the holiday since the first invitation in 2001.

"It (Dreamflight) gives them a boost that you can't get from medication," Ms Beedie told the GDN.

"It's a break from the routine of being in and out of hospital and it gives them a chance to meet children from other cultures.

"These children are either terminally or have long-term illnesses and have little chance of going on such a holiday.

"They go to mainstream schools and they always feel different in their class because they are ill and miss school, but on Dreamflight, they are all poorly, so it is a normal thing for them because they are all in the same boat.

"The Bahraini children we take are able-bodied and it's nice to see them helping those in wheelchairs."

She said out of the 196 children selected for Dreamflight all were from the UK, except two from Hong Kong, two from Chernobyl, and two from Bahrain, so it was a rare opportunity.

"It is not guaranteed that we have a slot, so we wait until we are invited back each year," noted Ms Beedie.

During the holiday the 196 children are divided into 12 regional groups, with eight adults to 16 children.

Each group is named after Disney cartoon characters and has eight escorts, a group leader, paediatric doctor, senior nurse, two other nurses, a physiotherapist and two non-medical helpers.

Once in the US, the eight helpers are also assisted by American volunteers and British Airways cabin crew and flight deck. The aim is to have one escort to a child.

The two Bahrainis will join the Donald Duck group, which has children from east Scotland who are led by Dave Cruikshanks.

"The children are so well behaved and break many barriers, they all fit in together," said Ms Beedie.

"It's good because it helps open their eyes to what the UK and the US have to offer and it helps them improve their English conversation so much.

"It opens their minds completely because most of them have only travelled within the region and been with similar cultures."

Ms Beedie said eight Bahraini children, aged between eight and 14, would be nominated for Dreamflight by SMC paediatric head Dr Ali Ebrahim. The nominations would then be sent to the charity director in London and the two most eligible would be selected and announced in June.

Once selected, the two children will be given English lessons sponsored by Berlitz.

Speedy Motors will also assist by providing free transport to lessons and other places the children need to visit in preparation for the trip.

The children will leave Bahrain on October 15, spend two days sightseeing in London and 10 days in Orlando, Florida, then return to Bahrain via London on October 28.

Dreamflight is a UK-registered charity that started in 1987 by its two founders, Derek Pereira and Pat Pearce.

The charity is normally open to sick children from the UK, but Dreamflight was brought to Bahrain by Mr Pereira, a former flight engineer, and his Bahrain-based sister Yvonne Trueman, in 2001.

It was to be a one-time arrangement, but with the support of British Airways, the British Embassy and the local community, Bahrain has been able to secure two places each year since then.

"We will be approaching schools to see what fundraising ideas they might have. It's nice to think children are helping other children and it is a good way of teaching them charity work," added Ms Beedie.

Schools and companies interested in fundraising or making a donation to the charity should contact Ms Beedie on 17589615 or [e-mail].

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