Dream come true for terminally-ill Wigan boy who finally makes it to Disneyland

Four-year-old Bobby Baldwin has always been a fan of the Disney character and liked watching him in parades in videos online.

His mother Emma Doherty, from Worsley Mesnes, thought Bobby would not be able to meet his hero as the cost of the trip was too high due to his health issues.

But thanks to the kindness of strangers, she finally saw his face light up as he met Mickey Mouse.

Emma said: “His face was so emotional. My dad was crying. It was so lovely.”

Bobby was born with a serious heart condition, has had more than 15 operations, suffered two strokes and only has one functioning lung.

Efforts to get him to Disneyland - which he calls “Mickey Mouse’s house” - were started by family friend Dave Morris, who had never met Bobby or his mother at the time.

He raised thousands of pounds by doing a parachute jump - despite not being a fan of heights - which was paid for by his employer Kwik Fit.

Wigan Warriors’ player Liam Farrell and Emma’s hairdresser Danielle Cain then stepped in to cover the cost of the insurance.

But even once they had all the money, Emma and Bobby still had obstacles to overcome before they could go to Disneyland.

Their plans to go to the theme park in November were postponed when Bobby had a chest infection.

And his health issues meant 16 insurance companies refused to cover Bobby for the trip.

It was only when Emma got a letter from his consultant at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool that they were given the green light.

She had to choose the right time for the trip, when it was not too cold or crowded, and finally made the journey to Paris last week.

Mother and son were joined by Emma’s parents Shaun and Christine Doherty for the four-day trip.

They stayed in a Mickey Mouse-themed hotel at the resort, watched parades, saw illuminations, enjoyed boat rides and met many of Bobby’s favourite Disney characters.

Emma said the trip was “absolutely perfect” and Bobby even asked if they could stay there forever.

She said: “I think he’s still in awe. He was so excited through it all.”

It was certainly a memorable trip not just for Bobby, but for his family too.

Emma said: “Bobby’s illness has never gone to the back of my mind, I’m always worrying, but there were times there that it was gone.

“For the first time ever I didn’t think about it, I just thought about how happy he was. It was perfect.”

She said she had “no words” to thank Dave, who faced his fears to raise money for the trip.

“He was so happy that we were going. This all boils down to him,” she said.