LITTLE Joshua Howard has returned from a family holiday of a lifetime to Disney World following a two-year fundraising campaign backed by the Daily Echo.

Five-year-old Joshua, who suffers from the terminal muscle-wasting disease Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, had been looking forward to the Florida trip for months - and he wasn't disappointed.

His mother, Claire, of Barton Drive, Hedge End, said: "It was absolutely brilliant. He met all the characters and went on all the rides.

"We saw dolphin shows, the seals, and had a tour of the MGM film studios.

"He loved it all, but the highlight was definitely meeting Mickey Mouse. He was so excited."

Josh was born with the disease and is not expected to reach adulthood. Doctors are still trying to establish the cause of his slow weight gain and growth.

His parents decided it was important to launch the campaign and organise the special holiday while Josh was still relatively active.

Claire said: "He didn't have to stand around too long because we used a special pushchair that we were allowed to take everywhere.

"We also had a swimming-pool at our villa - Josh loved that."

Josh was accompanied by his parents, his younger brother, Charlie, and grandparents Barbara and David Reeves from Bitterne.

The campaign raised £7,500, which was more than enough to send the family on holiday.

The extra cash was given to the Naomi House Children's Hospice near Winchester.

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