Saffron Crickley from Blackpool was whisked on a magical trip to London for her first ever holiday
A Harry Potter-obsessed teenager who lives with a rare genetic condition got the surprise of her life when she was whisked to the Warner Bros Studios in Watford to see how her beloved films were made.
Saffron Crickley, who was born with the incredibly rare chromosomal disorder Mosaic Turner Syndrome, lives with hearing and vision loss, scoliosis and ADHD. Despite her challenges, the 14-year-old from Blackpool remains upbeat and full of life, says mum Lianne.
“She’s a miracle baby,” says Lianne. “Everything she goes through she faces with a smile. She just wants to be part of the world, to belong, to laugh, to experience everything.”
Saffron was taken on a once-in-a-lifetime trip by charity Dreams Come True, which organised for her to travel with her family to London for a three-day holiday – the first time Saffron had ever left her home town.
She and her family – brothers Kyron, 15, and Greyson, 11; dad Lee, grandma Gail, 18-month-old foster brother Noah and mum Lianne – were treated to a slap-up meal at Frankie & Benny’s, where they feasted on Saffron’s favourite: burgers, without the bun!
The next morning they were taken to the world-famous toy store Hamley’s in central London, which pulled out all the stops with entertainers, high tea and a private tour of the seven floors of toys, games and fun.
And that wasn’t the only surprise in store for the youngster, who has loved Harry Potter since watching the very first film when she was four. Saffron found herself standing outside The Making of Harry Potter, home to hundreds of thousands of props, sets and costumes that were all used during the filming of every Potter film.
And just to top it all off, two of her heroes – David Ricardo-Pearce and Thomas Aldridge, who are currently playing Harry and Ron Weasley in the stage production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – had recorded a special video message just for her.
“She’s absolutely Harry Potter obsessed, this is something she’s talked about for years,” says Lianne. “To finally go to London, and not only visit The Making of Harry Potter but also to receive a personalised message from the stars of the stage, Harry and Ron themselves, is beyond anything we could have imagined. It’s truly magical.”
Her favourite film is The Chamber of Secrets, and her favourite character is Harry’s best friend Hermione, “because she’s brave and bossy – just like me with my brothers,” laughs Saffron. Her mum agrees. “Hermione keeps the boys in line and under her thumb, and so does Saffron,” smiles Lianne.
One of her highlights of the trip was trying Butterbeer, which in JK Rowling’s magical universe is a slightly alcoholic butterscotch-tasting drink. In Muggle land, however, it’s not boozy at all. “I had it all over my face,” Saffron laughs. “It was like a moustache!”
But the ultimate highlight was walking into the room containing the 50-foot model of Hogwarts Castle, which was painstakingly built and painted by the art department for the first film, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. “It took Saffron’s breath away,” says Lianne. “She couldn’t believe her eyes. It was the real Hogwarts, right in front of us.”
The one scary moment came when Saffron found herself face-to-face with a roaring dragon, which in the Harry Potter series lives deep underground the wizarding bank Gringotts – until it is freed by Harry, Ron and Hermione. “It was so loud I had to turn off my hearing aids,” says Saffron.
But she left happily in possession of Hermione’s very own wand, all the better for keeping her brothers in line.
It comes as research finds more than half of families with children who have disabilities live beneath the poverty line. Dreams Come True is a wish-granting charity focused exclusively on children living in the highest areas of deprivation with serious medical needs or disabilities, and chief exec Lisa King OBE says: “This is what it’s all about: creating unforgettable experiences for children who deserve the world. For Saffron and her family, this is more than a holiday. It’s hope, joy, and magic brought to life.”
*If you would like to become a #DreamMaker and make dreams like Saffron’s come true, visit www.dreamscometrue.uk.com.