Zachary White “got to see the Loch Ness Monster" after a charity came forward to help him fulfill his wish to visit Scotland.
White has endured surgery, chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant since he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in February.
The five-year-old from Berkshire, England, is “obsessed with Scotland" and his greatest wish was to visit the country, watch ice hockey, see bagpipers and find Nessie.
As a gift, the children's charity Rays of Sunshine enlisted the help of Loch Ness Cruises – and a Nessie prop – to arrange a hunt for the mysterious monster.
Zachary was given a kit of binoculars, compass, magnifying glass and a handheld torch. After an hour out on the water on Tuesday, he noticed something way off in the distance.
“I spotted Nessie – I can't believe that I got to see the Loch Ness Monster," he said. “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."
“Seeing him back to his old self, so excited and smiling, has been fantastic," his parents, Katie and Mark, said.
Rays of Sunshine – a charity for seriously ill children aged three to 18 across the UK – grants wishes and provides support within hospitals.
Zachary's trip meant it has reached a milestone of 7,000 wishes granted.
“I am so thrilled that we were able to make Zachary's wish come true and in such a spectacular style," Jane Sharpe, Rays of Sunshine chief executive, said. “This wish clearly came from Zachary's own imagination, inspiring the Rays of Sunshine team to go above and beyond to create the most magical experience possible."
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