Rays of Sunshine grants 7,000th wish for Zachary to find the Loch Ness Monster

Rays of Sunshine reached a very special milestone, granting our 7,000th wish, when we fulfilled five-year-old Zachary’s wish to find the Loch Ness Monster and visit Scotland.

Zachary, from Bracknell, Berkshire, was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) in February of this year. Due to this, he has spent a lot of time in hospital having to endure surgery, chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant. The young boy is “obsessed with Scotland” and his greatest wish is to: visit Scotland, watch ice hockey, see bagpipers, and find the infamous Nessie!

To make his entire wish become a reality, Rays of Sunshine enlisted the help of 4000 and Counting: Ice Hockey Podcast who organised for Zachary to meet the Glasgow Clans and the Manchester Storms teams before the match to give them a team talk, as well as lead the Thunder Clap on the ice at the end.

We also worked with Loch Ness Cruises to organise a ‘Nessie hunt’ for Zachary, where the five-year-old spent time out on the Loch with his Nessie Hunting kit of binoculars, compass, magnifying glass and a handheld torch. After an hour out on the water, looking out for any sign of the infamous monster, Zachary spotted something off in the distance… the Loch Ness Monster!

Zachary said:

I spotted Nessie! I can’t believe that I got to see the Loch Ness Monster! Not many people get to see her, and I got to see her. She was green and scaly, a bit like a dinosaur, but a friendly monster.

Mum and dad, Katie and Mark, commented:

Today has been amazing! Zachary’s wish has been fulfilled! To be able to come away as a family and create such precious memories with Zachary after so long in hospital has been incredible. Seeing him back to his old self, so excited and smiling, has been fantastic. From the Nessie hunting kit and Loch Ness Monster book to the boat trip with a surprise appearance from Nessie herself, Rays of Sunshine thought of everything to make his wish magical. Thank you to Rays of Sunshine and Loch Ness Cruises for everything.