Meet Olivia

7-year-old Olivia was born with Cystic Fibrosis, so her day-to-day life looks very different to other girls her age. The lung condition means she has to do daily physiotherapy exercises and take meds, and often has to sit out activities which her friends get to do.  

“There are moments when she does ask me things like ‘will it ever go away?’ or ‘why can’t I be normal?’ And that of course breaks my heart,” says Olivia’s mum, Tanya. “But overall, she is so brave, and she just gets on with it. She does her meds, her nebulisers and physiotherapy exercises, and the nurses at hospital really do love seeing her because she’s such a bright little girl.”

Why Olivia chose her wish

Olivia’s favourite thing in the world is horses. She’s loved the animals ever since her and her mum first came across the YouTube account Harlow and Her Horses. “I remember her seeing the videos, and her saying ‘Oh mummy, I really want to be like her!’” says Tanya. When the family were finally able to get Olivia into riding lessons, Tanya recalls: “It was like love at first sight.”  

When they were considering a wish with Rays of Sunshine, Tanya says there was no question that it would involve horses.

On the day of Olivia’s wish

Olivia had always wanted to go to the prestigious Horse of the Year Show in Birmingham, but tickets always sell out very quickly.

But Rays of Sunshine worked its magic to get Olivia’s family tickets, as well as offering some spending money for her to buy herself plenty of horse riding goodies.

But that wasn’t all – Olivia’s wish granter was also able to organise a meet and greet with none other than Harlow herself! 

“Seeing my little girl meet her hero was just so heart-warming for me,” says Tanya. “Harlow was amazing with her, and it just felt like such a full circle moment knowing that she was pretty much the reason why Olivia found her love for horses.” 

The impact of the wish

Since her wish, Tanya says Olivia has not stopped talking about her experience, and that it has been really beneficial for her wellbeing.

“On one hand, it has absolutely cemented in her head that this is the world she wants to be a part of when she grows up,” she says. “And on the other hand, in the present, it has given her something to talk about and own which isn’t related to her CF.”

Tanya says: “We are all so grateful for Rays of Sunshine and what they did for us. It’s given Olivia and us as parents just the best memories to cherish as a group. I would recommend that any parent with an eligible child look into a wish too. It is so worth it.”