Holiday of a lifetime in Florida for ill and disabled children includes a swim with dolphins

The 191 young people from around the UK, many of whom had never been abroad or been away from their families, were flown on a free trip to Orlandoby charity Dreamflight. On their penultimate trip at SeaWorld's Discovery Cove, they got the chance to swim with dolphins. Some youngsters were lifted from their wheelchairs and into the water to get close to them.

Ayla Dannatt, 12, from Portsmouth, said: "I feel like swimming with a dolphin is such a rare opportunity, gliding with it was like riding a bike without pedals. It was definitely the highlight of the trip."

Logan Pipe-Edwards, 14, from Waterlooville, said: "One of the dolphins came to the shallow bit and I got to rub him, it was a once-in-a-lifetime thing. It was so fun, sort of like touching a beach ball.

"I feel really happy that I got in there and did it."

The children were also taken to Disney's Hollywood Studios and Universal Studios.

They were picked to join the holiday after living with serious illness, disability or trauma.

Dreamflight has taken more than 6,500 children on the annual trip since 1987. The trip cost more than £1 million and Strictly Come Dancing's Shirley Ballas waved the children off as they left from Heathrow Airport last weekend.