Georgia’s wish to meet Santa comes true

Dec 15 2007 by Audrey Barton, The Journal

A FIVE-YEAR-OLD who has a lifelong health condition that severely restricts her movement went on a surprise dream trip to Lapland.

Georgia Thompson has cerebral palsy, which weakens the muscles and tendons in her legs.

She struggles to walk without sticks and a frame and uses a wheelchair to help her get around. The South Shields youngster had a traumatic premature birth and she is the only surviving triplet for her parents George and Lynn.

She has endured gruelling treatment for her condition but remains happy and loves to make her mother and father laugh.

The bright little girl loves Christmas and her wish to meet Father Christmas and his reindeer was granted thanks to a secret nomination from her grandmother.

“The trip was magical, absolutely fantastic,” said George.

“It is an opportunity she would never have had. We wouldn’t have been able to do that for her. ”

Lynn lost both of Georgia’s sisters during her pregnancy.

Georgia was born eight weeks premature and her parents believe her brain was starved of oxygen during the traumatic birth, triggering her condition.

She spent eight weeks in hospital and has since had gruelling daily physiotherapy and also has botox injections to loosen her muscles. “It is quite painful for her as she can’t straighten her legs when she is sitting,” said her father. “But her speech is really good and she is bright.”

Georgia’s only wish was to have Christmas with her family and to meet Santa Claus so her grandmother Margaret Thompson nominated her for the Starlight Children’s Foundation make a wish trip.

The charity, which grants wishes for seriously ill children, contacted the family and arranged the trip.

“She can crawl on her own and when she found out she was going she did a little dance she was so excited.

“It was so funny it made us laugh but brought a tear to our eyes too,” said Lynn.

The Bamburgh School pupil met Father Christmas, went on sleigh rides pulled by huskies, built snowmen and fed carrots to reindeer.

“She is usually quite shy around children but this has really brought her around,” said her mother.

“She now believes that wishes can come true.”