Jasmine's trip to Disneyland Paris

[bargainqueen]

My great niece Jasmine was recently taken on the annual trip organised by taxi drivers for children who have a serious illness.

The first weekend in October a convoy of 97 taxi's started at Canary Wharf and after a breakfast in the ground floor of a local business they set off with a police escort, ambulance, AA van plus AA recovery truck.

In each taxi was a maximum of 3 people, nominated child, parent and one sibling up to age 15. Jasmine's brother didn't want to go so one of the doctor's joined her and my niece.

Everyone was given a packed lunch to eat on the ferry and each child was given an envelope containing 30euros.

One of the taxi drivers had a Mickey Mouse shaved into the back of his head although Jasmine insists it was Minnie Mouse who I think might be her favourite charector.

Only one child became ill on the trip and that was quickly dealt with by the accompanying doctor's. No child is allowed to go if they are still undergoing a specialised treatment, most are still undergoing chemo but not intensively.

Everyone enjoyed the trip especially the breakfast's in France, all the children were tucking into the cold meats. Chemo changes their taste buds and they eat the strangest things. Jasmine's favourite at the moment is Salami and if she has a McDonald's she has extra gherkin which she calls dirty cucumber.

The only down side were the comments they were getting from other people because of the preferential treatment the children were getting. No one looking at Jasmine would know just how ill she has been this last two years, only a couple of the children had lost their hair and two more were on oxygen.

This is the 14th year of the event and Steve Jasmine's taxi driver has been doing it for the last 12. He was having a day off on the Monday after they returned and then they would begin the organisation for next years trip.

Jasmine believes she is going again next year but if all goes well then starting 28th December they will begin to wean her off all the chemo and other medicines she currently takes.

She is the star patient at Gt Ormand St and her local hospital at Barnet. They will often use her to calm another child who is frightened, not bad for someone who is 5 and starts big school in a week's time.

[FraserLynn]

So great to hear that Jasmine had such a nice time, makes me feel a bit like I have just wasted my weekend whilst other people decided to do something great.[msnembarrased]

What a fantastic thing for the taxi drivers to arrange every year but what a shame that some people at the park decided to judge before they understood. [stupid2]

Sounds like Jasmine is a really special and brave girl, you must be really proud of her, here's wishing her a continued and speedy recovery.

[andrewmckay5]

The OV owners have recently done their bit in the owners section by donating a week in a villa with car hire to the Cystic Fibrosis Research Trust. It will be one of the auction items at the 65 Roses Ball next May.
A recent week donatecd to CF raised £2,100 at an auction

We are all very lucky to have holidays in Florida to look forward to and nice to be able to help others.
Well done the Taxi Drivers.

andrew

[mizzy]

Zena that is so lovely to hear and i'm really glad your great niece had a lovely day[msnsmile]

it's really good to hear that the OV owners have donated villa and car hire to another good cause too, well done OV owners[high5]

[SDJ]

Your posting was so happy and sad at the same time. I read it out to my husband and tears were streaming down my face. We have a grand daughter called Jasmine and it brought home to me just how unfortunate some little children are. I do hope she makes a full recovery and well done to the taxi drivers who organise these trips.

Sandra

[owen3]

Lovely to hear Jasmine had a great trip.Hope all goes well for her when she is off the chemo and other medicines.
Well done to the taxi drivers.
Barbara

[bargainqueen]

Thank you all for your kind words.

I apologise if I've made anyone feel sad, I really wanted people to know about this yearly trip.

I've seen something similar on TV once but I think that was a trip to Southend. To organise something on this grand a scale must take some doing.

They had a couple of mishaps on the trip, one taxi's radiator went so it had to travel on the recovery truck. A police motor cyclist went on ahead to stop the traffic at a roundabout to let the convoy through. Unfortunately a lady on the roundabout didn't see his bike and drove into it. Wonder what fine she received[msneek]

One year the trip coincided with the petrol strike, to get around it the convoy included a tanker.

When they went into Disneyland they were given blue badges to wear and they went onto the rides from other entrances where they waited until they could get on.

They did it's a small world twice so they could see the views from both sides of the boat. They also went on the Haunted Mansion and when they came out the queue was so small that Steve suggested that they go on again to experience the lift. When I asked about the paintings on the wall of the lift and the hitch hiker at the end I received blank looks....from mother and daughter.

Ten years ago we took her older sister out with us to Florida, five years later we took her brother and we have tentative plans to do the same with Jasmine. We'll probably wait until she's the same age, 10 as then they have the energy to keep up with my husband in his mad dashes around the parks.

[LiesaAnna]

[clap][clap][clap]to all the taxi drivers[clap][clap][clap] and all the Dr's and helpers etc[clap]fantastic people giving so much to help others and to Jasmine[grouphug][high5][high5]hope she is soon better and looking forward to christmas and next years trip well done little one[clap][clap][clap]