Children's charity Florida flight takes to the skies

Destination Florida’s biennial trips to Orlando provide these inspirational kids with moments of joy, laughter, and excitement at one of the world's most magical destinations, while giving their families often-needed respite.

On Friday, at Aer Lingus’ hub at Manchester Airport Terminal 2, 71 children, their families, and volunteers including doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and adult non-medical helpers, gathered ahead of the big trip. Amongst them was 10-year-old Gracie and her family. Gracie has learning difficulties, Global Development Delay, Asthma, Epilepsy and 2 rare genetic disorders.

Gracie’s guardians, Sharon and Ian, who she calls mum and dad, are actually her grandparents. Gracie’s birth mum, Sharon and Ian’s daughter, sadly passed away seven years ago from one of the same conditions Gracie has.

Sharon said:“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for Gracie. As a family we wouldn't be able to afford a trip like this, or manage her on our own due to her complex needs. Over the last 5 years, myself and Ian have been extremely poorly; we will be able to have some respite and recharge our batteries while Gracie is away – she is high maintenance due to her complex needs. Some of the highly skilled team of medical staff and volunteers have met Gracie and witnessed first-hand some of her behavioural issues due to her complex needs and they didn't bat an eyelid, which instilled us with confidence. The team have also been working on structures to help Gracie on the trip which is fantastic. Looking at some of the other children going on the trip and their complex needs just shows what a fantastic team it is taking the children on this trip of a lifetime.”

Gracie is looking forward to the pool party, fireworks, Harry Potter and meeting the Disney characters.

The Aer Lingus team have been working alongside the charity volunteers preparing to extend a warm welcome to every child, volunteer and charity trustee onboard, as they embarked on their special transatlantic journey. Sandi Schofield, an Aer Lingus cabin crew member, has been a long-standing volunteer with Destination Florida. She started volunteering for the charity back in 2018, and this year, she has raised £9,000 on her own to support the trip.

Aer Lingus’ Sandi Schofield commented:“Destination Florida holds a very special place in my heart. Since I first volunteered in 2018, I’ve seen firsthand the joy and confidence this trip brings to the children – it’s truly life-changing. Raising £9,000 this year was a labour of love, and I’m so proud to help make this journey possible. Being part of the team welcoming these incredible kids onboard is an honour I’ll never take for granted. It’s about more than just getting them to Florida – it’s about helping them feel seen, celebrated, and supported every step of the way.”

Destination Florida Trustee, Ben Morrison, also shared his excitement about the collaboration, saying: “Aer Lingus has proven to be a stellar partner, providing the support, thoughtfulness, and care that our children and volunteers need when travelling such a distance. We are delighted to have the team’s continued support and commitment as we embark on another amazing trip to Florida.

“It’s so important that we have the right airline partner, who works with us every step of the way, and understands what we need to continuously organise these once in a lifetime experiences.”

For more information about Destination Florida, its mission, or ways to support the charity, visit https://www.destinationflorida.org.uk/

Aer Lingus flies to Orlando daily from June to October, three times a week from November to March and four times a week from April to May.