A once-in-a-lifetime experience for Daniel
By Aideen O'Flaherty
A NINE-YEAR-OLD boy who lives with a brain tumour saw his wish to visit the Johnson Space Center in Texas come true with the help of Make A Wish Ireland, ahead of Wish Day this March, reports Aideen O’Flaherty.
Walkinstown boy Daniel Barrett visited the space centre with his family, where they got to meet real astronauts and walk on NASA’s replica of the International Space Station.
The family also got access to the old mission control room, and saw astronauts training underwater.
Daniel’s mother, Orlagh, said that the family will never forget the trip and that, “it was a real, once-in-a-lifetime experience!”
According to Make A Wish Ireland, children’s wishes can range from being a princess for the day or meeting their hero, to going on a once-in-a-lifetime family holiday.
This is ahead of Make A Wish Ireland’s annual Wish Day where volunteers for the charity, which receives no government funding, sell wristbands to raise money for the charity.
Last year’s Wish Day raised over €120,000 for the charity and was vital in enabling the charity to grant 221 wishes in 2017, more than any previous year.
The charity is appealing for 500 local volunteers to sell wristbands and transfers in local supermarkets and shopping centres for a few hours for this year’s Wish Day, which takes place on March 9.
If you want to sign up to volunteer you can visit www.makeawish.ie/wishday or contact Daragh on 01 205 2011 or email him at daragh [at] makeawish [dot] ie
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