Six-year-old Charlie McIntyre enchants everyone he meets with his adorable smile and big green eyes. The little boy loves superheroes, teddy bears and Christmas lights, his face lighting up whenever he sees a decorated tree.
Charlie suffers from a series of complex medical conditions. At the age of four months old, Charlie was diagnosed with Lissencephaly, a rare brain disorder that affects his feeding and swallowing. It also means that Charlie suffers from muscle spasms and is unable to use his limbs normally so he spends most of his day in a wheelchair.
A few weeks ago, Charlie and his family enjoyed a festive treat at McArthurGlen Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet with dinner at Giraffe, an exclusive trip to Charlie’s favourite store, Build-A-Bear and a meeting with Santa, all finished with Charlie pushing the button to turn on the lights of the outlet’s 100 ft Christmas tree.
Earlier this year, Charlie and his family were introduced to Claire House Children’s Hospice where he now enjoys short stays, giving his parents a break from providing 24-hour care.
Charlie’s mum Shirley said: “Claire House provide amazing, around-the-clock care and give families a break when most needed. Charlie is comfortable there and well looked after; the staff are so good with him.”
“The whole ethos of Claire House is to help create precious memories for the families that use the hospice and its services, and they’ve been helping us do just that.”
“We all had a fabulous night at Cheshire Oaks. Charlie was treated like a superstar and loved every minute. We don’t get time to do much like this as a family, so it was such a treat. Charlie loves anything sensory so being able to touch the soft toys in Build a Bear and see the lights twinkle on the tree made his year,” says mum Shirley.
This year the tree at Cheshire Oaks is being staffed by volunteers from Claire House Children’s Hospice. Although entrance is free, a recommended donation of £1 is suggested to help support the hospice over the festive period.
