Caitlin Passey shows off the amazing Harry Potter goodies as big-hearted Sun readers help her tick off bucket list
LITTLE Caitlin Passey smiles from ear to ear as she shows off the amazing Harry Potter goodies which were magically donated to her this week after the Sun on Sunday featured her devastating story.
We told how the Harry Potter fan, eight, has a rare degenerative condition called Batten’s disease, which has already started to destroy her eye sight.
Her parents Nick and Naomi have helped her create a bucket list of things she would like to experience before she loses her eyesight and raising funds to make their home wheelchair accessible.
And this week she was overjoyed when we delivered Harry Potter merchandise donated by Warner Bros Studios including a wand, cushion, pendant and sweets for her new bedroom plus an inflatable hot tub courtesy of Lay-Z-Spa.
Plus YOU, our kindhearted readers, donated £4,000 towards the £200,000 goal for renovating the family home.
Her overjoyed dad Nick, 38, said: “We cannot thank the Sun on Sunday and all the readers enough — we are overwhelmed with the generosity.
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“It’s reassuring to know that people care. It shows us that, inherently, people are good. We are so grateful and humbled by all the support.
“Caitlin has been loving the hot tub. She’s been wanting one for ages, she loves the bubbles — but she does not appreciate how great this gift is to us. As Caitlin’s condition progresses and she loses muscle mass it will help with her aches and pains.
“She suffers with a chemical imbalance in her brain that causes her to have meltdowns and mood swings but she was so happy with all her gifts.
“She is especially over the moon with the Harry Potter stuff that she remained calm for much of the week.
“She loved the scarf so much she was wearing it in the 23-degree heat.
“As a family, it gave us a break from the nightmare we are living. It is phenomenal, we are overwhelmed.”
Nick, wife Naomi, 32, and Caitlin’s siblings, Oliver, nine, Joseph, five, and Sophie, three, from Over, Cambs, says the family are in a “race against time”.
Within 18 months Caitlin will be blind, by 15 have dementia and is unlikely to live past 20.
Alternatively, maybe you own a building company which could help with supplying key materials or would like to help her fulfil her bucket list.
Email sundayfeatures@the-sun.co.uk with Caitlin in the email subject and include any support you might be able to offer.
“Then the next phase in the illness is epilepsy.
“The crux of the condition is that it makes your brain forget. In the end it will make her forget how to talk and walk then how to breathe. It’s awful. It’s ridiculously hideous.
“We want to get our home ready for when Caitlin needs it and the money donated by your readers will go towards that, while the Harry Potter merchandise and Lay-Z-Spa means we can help create special memories.
“Caitlin doesn’t really understand what is happening, she is just amazed and so happy.”
Caitlin appeared healthy until late 2019 when they noticed she had problems with her eyesight.
This led to the devastating diagnosis in October last year that turned their world upside down.
Nick ran a landscape gardening firm and Naomi was a cardiac psychologist until they decided to give up work to focus on Caitlin’s care.
The family have vowed to create as many memories as they can for Caitlin and have already been to Mexico and Disneyland.
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Nick said: “It’s heartbreaking and awful but this week has been one of the happiest in a long time because Caitlin has been so happy thanks to the Sun on Sunday and the generosity of their readers.”
Lay-Z-Spa commented: “We were delighted to send Caitlin one of our hot tubs this summer. It’s been a pleasure to help make her wish of relaxing in a hot tub come true.”