A Bedlington family and St Oswald’s Hospice care team visited the home of English football with Together for Short Lives.

Eleven-year-old Hayden Mcdonald enjoyed exclusive access to the iconic Wembley Stadium and its legendary pitch with his twin brother Kole, younger brother Jack (10), and mum Beth Dawson.

The UK’s leading children’s palliative care charity, Together for Short Lives, organised the event on Tuesday December 10 and it was the first time Wembley has opened its doors like this to children and families who access UK care services in hospices. Participants got to take part in skills and drills, have a guided tour of the stadium – including visiting the players’ dressing room – and take turns scoring penalties against Together for Short Lives’ chief executive, Nick Carroll.

Hayden, who uses a wheelchair and has complex medical needs, including epilepsy and global developmental delay, attends monthly short breaks at St Oswald’s Hospice and according to mum, Beth, Tuesday’s trip to Wembley Stadium proved an unforgettable experience for all three of her sons.

Hayden’s brothers, Kole and Jack, pick out England shirts of Newcastle United players as they visit the dressing room. Picture: St Oswald's Hospice.

placeholder image — Hayden’s brothers, Kole and Jack, pick out England shirts of Newcastle United players as they visit the dressing room. Picture: St Oswald's Hospice.

She said: “The boys had the best day ever and loved every minute. Hayden smiled non-stop and absolutely loved getting the train down to London.

“I can’t thank St Oswald’s Hospice enough for putting our family forward for this amazing experience. The boys will remember it forever.”

The family loved being on the iconic pitch and especially enjoyed visiting the changing rooms, where brothers, Kole and Jack, picked out the England shirts of Newcastle United players.

Supporting the family on the day was St Oswald’s Hospice Children and Young Adults Service care team’s Helen Gair (junior sister) and Heather Tilmouth (nursing associate).

The Wembley trip will be a day the brothers will never forget. Picture: St Oswald's Hospice.

The Children and Young Adults Service provides short breaks, outreach services and palliative care to babies, children, and young adults with progressive, life-limiting conditions and supports families and carers. This year marked the service’s 21st birthday.

Holly Smith, matron of St Oswald’s Hospice Children and Young Adults Service, said: “This Wembley trip was such an incredible experience and we’re so pleased we were able to arrange for one of our families to take part on the day.

“When a family is supporting a child with a life-limiting condition, siblings can often miss out on opportunities, so the fact Hayden’s brothers were able to join him, along with mum, for this once-in-a-lifetime event was incredible.”

Nick Carroll, chief executive of Together for Short Lives, added: “St Oswald’s Hospice plays such a crucial role in the lives of children and young people like Hayden, and we are so happy he and his family were able to join us for this unforgettable afternoon.

Hayden is all smiles on the iconic Wembley pitch. Picture: St Oswald's Hospice.

“No matter how old you are, many of us dream about walking out that tunnel and heading onto the hallowed Wembley turf. This dream came true today for some truly remarkable children and young people, and we are endlessly grateful to Carabao for making that happen.”

Together for Short Lives raises money and campaigns for the UK’s 54 children’s hospices, including St Oswald’s Hospice, based in Gosforth.

The private event was part of Carabao’s ongoing support of Together for Short Lives and the UK’s 54 children’s hospices. Over the last year, it has donated nearly 1,000 Carabao Cup tickets to Together for Short Lives, which helped seriously ill children attend their first-ever football match.