SCORES of disadvantaged and seriously ill children were treated to the trip of a lifetime involving swimming with dolphins and visiting Disney World.

Some 192 children spent ten days in Florida on the annual Dreamflight trip, having been nominated by doctors, healthcare teams and social workers from around the country.

The youngsters - some of whom require round-the-clock attention - visited SeaWorld, Universal Studios and Disney World during an all-adventure tour of the Sunshine State.

For many, the excursion was the first time away from home, with dozens of medics among the volunteer chaperones during the holiday.

As a final treat, the children were given the opportunity to swim with dolphins at Discovery Cove in Orlando.

Several of the youngsters were carefully lifted from their wheelchairs to get into the water, where instructors and carers helped them get up close with the mammals.

Emma Smith, 13, from Stockton-on-Tees, was among those on the trip and said: “It’s difficult to sum up how good Dreamflight has been because we have done so much.

“Obviously I was a bit nervous at first, I was worried I would think about my mum a lot of the time, that I would miss my family.

“But it’s been totally fine. I’ve been having too much fun.

“To think I was in hospital last year and now I’ve been to America and been on loads of rollercoasters - despite being a scaredy cat - it’s been, well, just wow. Incredible.”

Her new friend, Eilidh Hallett, 13, from Richmond in North Yorkshire, said: “This has been really nice to meet someone who has been through the same thing as me, everybody understands everybody else and you don’t have to keep going over explaining what it is that is different about you - people just get it.

“There has not been much time to think about troubling things - it’s been one fun activity after another with people who have become your friends.

“When it all happens (the treatment) you don’t realise how quickly things can change - like Emma, last year I was in hospital and now I’ve just had the experience of swimming with a dolphin.

“I didn’t think that would have been possible a year ago.”

The Dreamflight charity is currently celebrating its 32nd year, having been supported by the late Princess of Wales for its maiden flight.

Since then, celebrities including Ryder Cup-winning golfer Ian Poulter, entertainer Sir Cliff Richard, and Saturdays singer Una Healy have all given up their time to help out.

Founder Pat Pearce said: “I started this charity as a bit of a drunken bet all those years ago.

“Now, 32 years on, I look around and I’m really proud to see a charity that keeps going year after year, supported by very kind people, and features only one person drawing a salary.

“Not many charities can say that, and it is down to the generosity of the volunteers and those who help fund Dreamflight.

“I don’t have my own children, but I come here and feel like a parent and a friend to each of the 192 kids on Dreamflight.”

The whole trip costs around £800,000 and covers everything from a chartered British Airways jet to three meals a day.

This year, British Airways crew members raised £150,000 through a series of charity events.