The Christmas period is a time for friends, family, and loved ones to reunite and enjoy the holiday cheer. Whether you’re digging into the Christmas dinner or opening presents, this is the perfect time to forget your worries and live in the present. But, this isn’t always possible for all families.
The last few years have been hard for many of us, but they have been especially difficult for two young families whose children have been diagnosed with cancer. The Pilkington Estates team have had the pleasure of giving the gift of quality time and Disney magic to these families, allowing them to forget the trials of daily life for a while in 2022.
Keep reading to find out about Santa’s visit to Plymouth!
Making it through the year
We met with Fox’s family to find out more about their journey. Fox was diagnosed with leukemia on Christmas Day when he was only two years old. In the video, Fox’s Mother explains how there was no time to fall apart through the whirlwind medical diagnosis. “There’s no choice but to stay strong for them,” she explained.
Fox received rounds of chemotherapy and surgery in Bristol hospital, but with the coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns, the hospital process became more and more difficult. Only one parent was permitted to visit and overnight stays became difficult. Luckily, Fox responded well to the treatment and now receives a biopsy every three months to check that he remains in remission.
Our team also met with Ivey’s parents, who talked us through their tough journey too. Ivey’s parents explained how the cancer diagnosis becomes your new normal. “There’s no choice but to get on with it,” they explained.
Ivey was diagnosed with cancer two months before her second birthday. With countless hospital trips and procedures, Ivey’s tumor was eventually removed. Ivey and her family have had to push through one of the toughest years of their life and now Ivey is doing better than ever.
Bringing back some Christmas cheer
It’s tough to imagine what these families have endured over the past couple of years, but here at Pilkington Estates, we want to make sure that they can enjoy this Christmas. Both families were invited to our office for a Christmas surprise. Not only did the children receive personalised gifts, but there was a special visit from Santa too!
In the videos, you can watch the pure excitement as Santa arrives at the Pilkington Estates offices in Saltash. With some Christmas joy and Disney magic, we capture the children’s innocent reactions to finding out they are visiting Disneyland Paris in 2022!
To allow the families to leave their day-to-day lives and spend some needed family time together, we’ve arranged for them to visit the dream destination and see all of their favourite characters in person. We couldn’t have made this happen without your support throughout 2021, so we’d like to thank our customers for working with us throughout the past year.
Looking to the future
Nothing makes us happier than seeing families together, so we want to continue spreading joy into the new year. From our team here at Pilkington Estates, we hope you’ve had an excellent Christmas and a chance to sit back and relax over the New Year too. We are looking forward to helping more families make new memories in 2022!
If you want to watch the heart-warming videos, check our Facebook page here or here.
