A BROADSTAIRS boy whose life was saved by a liver transplant when he was just two years old has been given a Christmas trip to Disneyland.
Adam Wall, now 14, was born with a rare condition akin to liver disease which meant he did not grow.
Mum Julie said: "He didn’t put on weight or do anything like other babies, so we put him on the list for a transplant at Kings College Hospital.
"We did it to improve his quality of life, but were told afterwards that his liver probably wouldn’t have lasted much more than six months after the operation. So he would have gone down hill pretty quickly if the operation hadn’t been carried out.
"After that we couldn’t believe the difference in him, it gave him a completely new lease of life and, apart from the fact that he gets rundown towards the end of term and is small for his age, he is just like every other child."
Adam, a student at Charles Dickens school, life was drastically improved by the transplant, so much so that Adam, now competes in swimming and badminton at the transplant games, where kids and adults who have undergone transplants compete in a number of different sports.
Swimming star Adam caught the eye of the event’s organiser Transplant Sport UK, who whisked him and nine other kids and their families off for a Christmas trip to Disneyland last week.
His mum, who went on the trip along with Adam’s sister Sophie, said: "We were so surprised when we heard we were going, and it was a lovely trip. It was a cold weekend, and the lake at the park even froze, but that didn’t stop our enthusiasm.
"He loved the Buzz Lightyear rides and Autotopia, where you get to drive round a race track, but also he made some really good friends with the other lads that went. It was lovely to see."
The trip was a success for everyone but dad Harry, who had to stay at home because he could not get time off from his job as a cab driver.
Trip organiser Carol Olley said: "These children have undergone surgery due to serious life-threatening conditions and face ongoing treatment, making this very special trip a valuable opportunity to just enjoy being kids and have fun.
"Brothers and sisters are very often the forgotten children, which is why it so important that they are able to come and join in the fun and for parents to celebrate their children’s renewed health as a family.
"Having a child with a long-term illness can put both an emotional and financial strain on families.
"Disneyland is a magical place and we hope to allow these children and their families to forget the world of operations and hospitals for a few days and enjoy life."
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