February 25, 2005
Special visitor gets VIP treatment at hovercraft station
Burnham’s hovercraft crew played host to a special visitor this week when a young girl suffering from an extremely rare chromosome disorder was given a VIP tour of the station.
Five-year-old Aimee Gascoigne from Bridgwater is one of only a few people in the UK with Alfi’s Syndrome, but that hasn’t stopped the bubbly girl having fun.
“She loves life and this showed during her visit to the station. She had so much fun looking around and now wants a hovercraft of her own!” said her mother, Sara.
Aimee, who attends Wembdon St Georges School in Bridgwater, tried out the hovercraft’s radio headsets, got to see the craft’s radar system close-up (pictured) and took a trip in the station’s 4×4 rescue vehicle.
“She’s in a wheelchair, so Aimee’s life has been a struggle with endless hospital visits, operations and therapy, but these have fortunately made her both a very strong and determined character who is an inspiration to all who meet her,” added Sara.
A spokesman for BARB, the group that runs the hovercraft, said: “It was great to give Aimee a tour of the station – she really enjoyed herself and is clearly a very special little girl with a heart of gold.”
RELATED LINKS:
More details about Alfi’s Syndrome
Official Burnham Hovercraft Web site home page
