Burnham schoolboy's wish comes true as he meets Chitty and Santa!

Published: November 28, 2007
Burnham schoolboy's wish comes true as he meets Chitty and Santa!

A Burnham-On-Sea schoolboy’s Christmas wish will come true this Saturday (December 1st) when he escorts Santa in the real Chitty Chitty Bang Bang motor car to a local garden centre in time for his first grotto appointments of the festive season.

Jack Kilcoyne, 6, was nominated by his family to win the chance to collect Father Christmas from Bristol Airport on December 1st in time for his 10am grotto at Sanders Garden World near Burnham.

Garden centre Managing Director Peter Burks said: "We asked people, and in particular children, to write in and tell us why they thought they had the right attributes to help look after our Santa, be a VIP for the day and ride in the real, roadworthy Chitty."

"We had around 400 entries for the competition and found it incredibly difficult to select just one winner but found the letter about Jack very touching as it gave an insight into his world and how he bravely copes with the life-threatening condition ‘hydrocephalus’."

The Burnham Infants School pupil will help pick Father Christmas up from arrivals at Bristol airport at around 9am and travel with him on his journey to the garden centre, which is located just off junction 22 of the M5.

Not only will Jack escort Santa to the garden centre he will also receive free entry to see Santa in his grotto and will be the first child to go into the grotto at 10am.

Jack’s Mum, Nikki Kilcoyne said: "Three years ago Jack was rushed to Frenchay Hospital in Bristol for emergency, life-saving surgery to remove a four centimetre lump from his brain. He underwent three more operations. He now has a mechanical shunt permanently fitted to continuously drain the fluid."

"He has worked hard to re-learn walking, talking and basic motor skills. He has even helped raise £2,600 for Frenchay Children’s Ward."

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