Sleeping Beauty’s dream visit for Camp Simcha girl
Six-year-old Naomi Sutcliffe celebrated the end of her two-and-a-half year treatment for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia by meeting her favourite Disney princess.
Andrew Sherwood is the Jewish News Sport and Community Editor
Camp Simcha and Sleeping Beauty made a little girl recovering from
Leukaemia’s dream come true.
Six-year-old Naomi Sutcliffe, from Guildford, Surrey, has been receiving treatment for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia for two and a half years.
As she approached her final treatment on 17 April, just a couple of weeks before her sixth birthday, Naomi was asked how she would like to celebrate such a big milestone on her road to recovery. “She said she would like Sleeping Beauty, her absolute favourite Disney princess, to come to her house to play”, her mum Jenny explained.
Camp Simcha, who have been supporting the family, heard about Naomi’s dream, and helped it become a reality. As Jenny recalls, on Naomi’s birthday: “Naomi was busy decorating a tiara so I told her to look up and when she did her jaw literally dropped.”
Sleeping Beauty met all her friends, joined them on the bouncy castle, but the biggest surprise was yet to come, as when the family left the party venue, Naomi walked outside to a horse and carriage, which was waiting to take her and Sleeping Beauty back to her house to play.
Jenny added: “As soon as we got home, Naomi took Sleeping Beauty into her room and they sat on the floor together looking at all her toys and books. Sleeping Beauty then gave her a charm bracelet and two key rings, one which said ‘friends’ and one which said ‘forever’ and they each kept one. She told Naomi that her friend Tinkerbell had given her some fairy dust so they could use it to make a wish. Then they wished to always be happy.
“I had tears in my eyes watching them together. It was such a wonderful way to celebrate her treatment being over. Naomi just couldn’t believe Sleeping Beauty had come over just to be with her. I am so, so grateful to Camp Simcha for making it happen. They are such an incredible organisation and have been so adaptive and responsive to our needs. Naomi said she wanted money instead of presents for her birthday so that she could give some of it to Camp Simcha to help other children.”
Camp Simcha chief executive Neville Goldschneider said: “As well as the wide range of practical and emotional support services we offer to help families coping with serious childhood illnesses, our Family Liaison Officers are there to give and arrange bespoke support. Sometimes that will be a meal for a family who have spent 24 hours straight in hospital or a visit to a mum who needs someone they can unburden to. And sometimes we have the privilege of being part of something joyful, like arranging a dream come true for a little girl who has finally come to the end of a grueling treatment period.”
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