The children arrive at Manchester Airport on a grey November morning and many of them will not have experienced a holiday before; few will have been able to travel abroad, away from their doctors and none of them will have any idea of the excitement, fun and the thrills they will have in the next seven days.

On the nine hour flight from Manchester, the children get to know the helpers and medical staff in their groups, Destination Florida arrives in the Sunshine State with temperatures in the high seventies. Transport takes everyone to the hotel for a week of fun and laughter.

The first morning of the holiday is by the pool, with new found friends, enjoying the warm water of the swimming pool. Animal Kingdom is always a favourite with the children, to see all the wild animals at close quarters and enjoy the thrill and adventure of the safari and white water rapids.

Sea World is without doubt one of the best Theme Parks in Orlando with a mixture of whales, dolphins, stingrays and sharks, the excitement of Kraken and Journey from Atlantis. The star of Sea World is Shamu the killer whale. If you like to get very wet, sit near the front! Universal Studios and Disney MGM Studios are other favourites of the children; they immerse themselves into their favourite films: Jaws, Men In Black, ET, Indiana Jones, Space Mountain, Tower Of Terror and Aerosmith.

Walt Disney’s Magic Kingdom is a wealth of fantasy and has every child wide-eyed and delighted to be able to see their favourite cartoon characters in real life.

As the holiday comes to an end you can see the overwhelming difference in the children, the shy quiet ones are now somewhat noisy and extrovert, homeward bound, ending of the week of adventure and excitement, with all the memories of fun and laughter.

When the children are reunited with their parents, they are full of smiles and stories of their week’s holiday with Destination Florida. The volunteers say goodbye to the children, knowing this has been a holiday of a lifetime for them and that it will be remembered for years to come.