By Calvin Palmer
In a world beset by cynicism and self-interest, it is always pleasing to write about someone who steps forward to support a worthy cause.
A week ago, the world learned of the plight of 13-year-old Hannah Jones, from Marden, Herefordshire, who turned down the option of a heart transplant because she wanted to die with dignity.
Her dying wish was to visit Disney World in Orlando, Florida, but no travel insurance would insure her for the trip.
Today, Hannah was told she can travel thanks to an anonymous British insurance company, which has agreed to provide cover to the tune of £5 million ($7,483,580).
A “delighted” Hannah said: “I am overwhelmed. I absolutely love Disney and watch all of the films. To be able to go and see them is a dream come true.
“The week away from our routine of doctors’ appointments and hospitals will be a wonderful distraction for us. We will feel like a normal family for a while.”
Her father Andrew Jones said: “I can’t thank enough everyone who has offered to help. Our main aim was to find someone who could insure our little girl for her dream holiday. My wife and I are thrilled that we have been able to do this and now we cannot wait to see the smile on her face.”
Hannah was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia at the age of five and the subsequent high-strength drug treatment caused a hole in her heart.
She stopped the cancer treatment because of the damage it was doing but it left her heart so weak it could give up at any time.
Doctors wanted to perform a heart transplant but couldn’t guarantee that Hannah would survive the operation. The new heart would only last 10 years at most and she would need constant drug treatment.
Hannah told doctors she didn’t want to go through any more operations and judged the operation too risky. She wanted to spend her remaining days with her family and friends.
Herefordshire Primary Care Trust stopped action in the High Court when a child protection officer reported that Hannah was adamant she did not want the operation.
On December 1, she will be one of 40 children flying out to Florida with the charity Caudwell Children. The children will be accompanied by a team of paramedics and doctors.
During the week-long trip, the group will stay at the Give Kids The World resort, which is specially designed to accommodate children with a high medical dependency.
Trudi Beswick, the chief executive officer of Caudwell Children, said the charity had been inundated with calls offering help.
She said: “Hannah and her family have had to deal with a tremendous amount of stress. Since Hannah was four they have had to cope with caring for a seriously ill child.
“Now we want to give them the opportunity to spend some quality time together as a family and offer them the medical and physical support they need to relax and enjoy their holiday.”
The trip has been funded by a year-long campaign organized by the charity, which was founded by Stoke-on-Trent tycoon John Caudwell in 2002 to fund hospital treatment, medical equipment and dying wish holidays for youngsters.
Caudwell amassed his fortune from setting up a mobile phone company, which later became Phones4U, with his brother Brian. In 2006, he sold his mobile phones empire for £1.3 billion to private equity firms Doughty Hanson and Providence Equity Partners.
[Based on reports by The Daily Telegraph, The Times and The Indpendent.]
