Portsmouth boy granted wish to meet Santa in Lapland by the Make-A-Wish Foundation

Jack Shaw, suffers from a rare metabolic condition called MPS Hurlers Syndrome which required him to have a bone marrow transplant in 2014 at Great Ormond Street Hospital. Prior to the transplant his life expectancy was ten years and to celebrate his tenth birthday the Make-A-Wish Foundation sent him and his family to Lapland in December.

Jack’s mother, Nadine Pullen, revealed how amazing the trip was for her family: “We stayed in a cosy log cabin in the woods and had a weekend filled with Christmas magic! This included sledding, husky dog rides, reindeer sleigh ride, snowmobiles, lots of singing with happy elves and a trip to meet the man himself – Santa! Jack was in his element and we have created family memories that will last a lifetime.” Nadine added: “It was nice to get time together as a family. We have to be careful when going out at home because if he falls over he can hurt himself but he loved getting out in Lapland. The snow was soft so we could pull him in the sleigh without too much worry, he told me ‘mum this is amazing!’”

The bone marrow transplant was a success in 2014 which means Jack no longer has the life expectancy of ten but the condition still leaves him under the care of Great Ormond Street Hospital. Nadine said: “Jack’s daily life is impacted by persistent pain and susceptibility to infections. We use pain relief to help Jack manage each day and medical aids: a spinal brace, hearing aids and glasses. Although Jack’s condition imposes limitations, we live life a day at a time, working together with Great Ormond Street Hospital to plan for upcoming major surgery.” Nadine also wanted to thank her employer, the STR Group, for their help and flexibility to enable her to care for Jack and her family.

Nadine along with her husband, Tom Pullen, and two further children, Jeremy (7) and Ellie-Rose Pullen (4), all made the trip to Lapland to see Jack fulfil one of his dreams: “Jack felt like he had a super power being able to turn a wish into a reality!”