Wish stories

“It gives him a different aspect of socialising as he can't go out like other children,” said Mum Laura. Through his love of Fortnite, Freddie discovered Ali-A – a gaming YouTuber who records himself playing Fortnite, giving tips and tricks to players like Freddie. So when Freddie learned that he would be able to meet his gaming hero, Ali-A, the night before his wish he was full of excitement. Now, Freddie has benefited from a wish that has made him feel on top of the world: “He said ‘How many people do you think have met Ali-A,’ and I said, ‘You are part of an elite group because you're so special.’”

When Freddie was around four, Mum noticed he started walking on his tiptoes. After bringing him to several doctors, Mum and Dad Stuart were told it was just a habit. It wasn’t until Freddie started secondary school that the family received a diagnosis. “I said to his dad that something wasn't right. He had a blood test which showed he had Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. It's been a whirlwind since.”

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is a genetic condition that weakens the body's muscles. This means that as Freddie grows up, his mobility will deteriorate. Still, Freddie remains determined to do the things he wants to do:

“He wants to do things for himself and by himself as much as he can. He takes everything in stride. He has had so many hospital appointments and blood tests, but he sees them as a chance to meet people.”

Doctors are amazed by Freddie’s current mobility. However as Mum explained, this will likely worsen: “He’s still a soldier and cracks on. We can see that it's going to get to a stage that the equipment we’ve got we will have to use all the time rather than every now and then.”

Whilst steroid medication has improved Freddie’s mobility, allowing him to get up from the sofa on his own, socialising outside of the house can be tricky as Freddie relies on his wheelchair. But gaming provides a way for Freddie to socialise without having to navigate a world that often doesn’t accommodate wheelchair users: “He’s confined to a wheelchair so socialising outside of the house is tricky, there's places he can go to but with stairs it's tricky. He does a lot of gaming because of that, It gives him a different aspect of socialising as he can't go out like other children.”

Not only has gaming given Freddie a way to socialise, but it also introduced him to Fortnite Youtuber Ali-A.

After a nurse from Addenbrookes Hospital referred Freddie to Make-A-Wish, Freddie and his mum had a call with a Wish Maker to draw out some ideas about what his wish could be. “We had a call from Make-A-Wish, and it was approached that he could make one of his wishes come true. His Wishgranter then mentioned that Ali-A would be willing to meet Freddie!”

But Freddie’s wish wasn’t the first time that Mum came across the charity. 20 years ago, Freddie’s Mum took on a charity skydive, raising money for Make-A-Wish!

After having given to the charity, she never would have expected that the charity would one day give back to her family.

The once-in-a-lifetime trip was revealed to Freddie the night before: “The night before he said 'Mum you're not working on Sunday but you usually do!' And we told him, he didn't sleep much, there was just pure excitement as he’s never been to London!”

On the 23rd of February, Freddie, Mum, and Dad made their way from their home in Cambridge to their London-based hotel, where they enjoyed a two-night stay. The next morning, the family enjoyed a complimentary breakfast before heading to Sky Guild Gaming Center, where Freddie would be meeting Ali-A.

Freddie was full of anticipation as he waited for his gaming idol to arrive. When Ali-A walked through the doors, Freddie was in disbelief:

“When Ali-A walked in off the street, we weren't expecting it. He came in and Freddie started crying.

He said can you look after my bag and Freddie was like woah I’m looking after his bag!”

After saying hello to each other, the two played a game of Fortnite whilst chatting all things about the game:

“ They were chatting about Fortnite skins, Ali-A asked, ‘Do you have my skins’ and Freddie said ‘Of course!’. The first game they played together they both won which was the icing on my cake! Ali-A made such an effort with Freddie, it was like they were best mates!”

After meeting Ali-A, the family spent the rest of the day exploring London and headed back to Cambridge the following day. As Mum said, “It was lovely to have a quality time with just the three of us, everyone was lovely and it was tailored to Freddie."

Freddie now looks back on his wish, a day that made him feel extra special, and continues to do so: “He talks about it and he's amazed that it happened. He has photos on his phone that he looks at. His mates couldn't believe it! He said ‘How many people do you think have met him,’ and I said ‘You're part of an elite group because you're so special.’”