Amber’s horsey wish comes true

After a tough battle with cancer, 10-year-old Amber’s dream came true when she met This Esme

Back in September 2021, pony-mad Amber was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and after months of chemotherapy she finally rang the end-of-treatment bell on 7 March 2022. At the same time, Amber was referred to the charity Make-A-Wish UK and they gave her the experience of a lifetime at the 2022 London International Horse Show when she met This Esme.

“Ponies are her absolute world. When she was poorly in hospital, it was that drive to see her ponies again and get back in the saddle that got her through,” said Tanya, Amber’s mum. “There was no chance of her wishing for anything other than something to do with horses!”

On 17 December 2022, Amber and her family travelled from Somerset to London where they stayed two nights and made so many amazing memories. On the Saturday evening they watched Matilda in the theatre and on Sunday, they attended the London International Horse Show where Amber enjoyed an exclusive meet-and-greet with her idol, equestrian influencer This Esme!

Amber has been watching Esme’s YouTube channel since she was five so was totally starstruck when she met Esme – a moment she’ll remember for the rest of her life! After meeting Esme, Amber and her family had front-row seats to the Sunday evening performance where they watched amazing showjumping displays, awesome dog agility and the epic Shetland Pony Grand National. When asked which part of her wish had been the best Amber said ‘everything’!

Speaking about their magical day and the wonderful work Make-A-Wish do to make dreams come true for children like Amber, Tanya said: “We can put away all the bad memories now because we have this memory to focus on instead. We can’t thank Make-A-Wish enough, honestly. We’re so incredibly grateful.”

To find out more about the charity’s work, visit make-a-wish.org.uk