A long-held dream came true for Cartref Croeso’s Ian this summer when he finally saw Real Madrid play at their home ground.
Football fan Ian has spent years hoping he could make his wish come true but hit obstacles including the pandemic and a health battle.
However, this September, Ian and his support team made the trip to Spain’s capital to watch his favourite team at the legendary Santiago Bernabeu stadium.
According to Scheme Manager Joanne Lewis, the experience was every bit as fantastic as Ian had hoped it would be.
Joanne said: “This was the trip of a lifetime for Ian – he got to see his Real Madrid heroes play a home game!
“The atmosphere in the stadium was fantastic, and Ian was able to take a tour beforehand, where he bought himself a Real Madrid shirt.
“After a tough few years, it was wonderful to see the joy on Ian’s face as his dream came true.”
For Ian, the trip was a bright spot during a difficult time.
He’s been battling cancer for three years and had to keep postponing the Madrid holiday as he wasn’t well enough to go.
However, after consultation with his medical team, Ian was allowed to travel ahead of the next round of treatment.
Joanne said: “Ian moved into Cartref Croeso in 2019, and he’s been talking about how much he wanted to do this trip since he arrived.
“But with the pandemic and his health troubles, it kept getting pushed back.
“It means the world to us that we’ve finally been able to support Ian in taking this holiday and making his dream come true.
“Just seeing his smile lights up my day!”
