Wish child Zaydan inspires classmates’ sponsored walk, raising money for more magical wishes for seriously ill children
Rays of Sunshine is delighted to share the success of Peartree Spring Primary School’s sponsored walk fundraiser, which raised more than £1,800 to grant more magical wishes.
The fundraiser, which was led by the outgoing Year 6 class and supported by students from all years, was inspired by their classmate, 11-year-old Peartree Spring student Zaydan.
Zaydan was first introduced to Rays of Sunshine after he was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoblastic leukaemia in 2022.
We granted his wish to have a new Nintendo Switch and games to play – something which has gifted him with plenty of distraction and fun while in hospital for treatment.
Unfortunately, Zaydan relapsed earlier this year, which took him out of school for a lot of his final year. But determined to still mark his final year at primary school, Zaydan was inspired to do a fundraiser.
“He was eager to do something for a charity and spoke to his school headteacher,” explained Zaydan’s dad Abdul. “Having previously benefitted through Rays of Sunshine there was no hesitation on naming his charity of choice.”
Dan Crawley, Peartree Spring’s Year 6 Leader and Assistant Head, said: “Zaydan is very special to us and is an inspiration to us all.
“We are so proud of Zaydan and the young man he is, he even recently scored 96% on his SATs which he completed whilst undergoing treatment.”
The class first set out to walk 500 miles total around their school field – and went above and beyond by actually completing 813 on the day! On top of this, the group smashed their fundraising target of £100 – instead raising £1,760!
Zaydan’s dad added: “We were all truly surprised by just how much they were able to raise, showing the love they have for Zaydan.”
Amy Chambers, CEO of Rays of Sunshine, said: “It’s so heartwarming to know that Zaydan’s lovely memories of his wish have inspired him and his friends to fundraise for us.
“We’re so proud of Peartree Spring’s outgoing Year 6 class for their fundraising efforts, which will help us grant even more magical wishes for children like Zaydan.”
If your school would like to fundraise for Rays of Sunshine, please visit:
