A little girl with a rare medical condition was invited to be the first to meet Santa at the Bradgate Park grotto yesterday(THUR).
Five-year-old Shinay Godfrey is the only person in the whole of the UK currently diagnosed with plasminogen deficiency type 1, a life-long condition requiring her to go to hospital every two weeks for treatment.
Shinay, of New Parks, Leicester, dressed up as her favourite cartoon character, Elsa from Frozen, and went along with her family to meet Santa - played by her dad, Nathan - who gave her a chocolate selection box.
Shinay said: "I liked going to see Santa but it wasn't real Santa it was my dad!"
Shinay, Donna and other members of the family were the first to see the woodland-themed grotto, where Santa will be handing out gifts to youngsters each weekend in the run-up to Christmas, starting tomorrow.
From each £4 entry free, £1 will go to local charities including Loros, Spinal Muscular Atrophy Support, Action for Children and the Leicester Hospitals Charity.
Bradgate Park deputy head ranger, Matthew Molesdale, said: "Our first Christmas Fair last year was a great success and Action for Children raised £200 in one weekend.
"So we'll be supporting local charities again this year.
"It's nice to put a little back."
Shinay's mum Donna said: "She's really been looking forward to it and it's really nice for her.
"Every fortnight she has to go to hospital and it does leave her feeling very lethargic.
"She needs to have an intravenous drip that stops the membrane in her eyes getting into her system and attacking other parts of her body.
"She will have to keep going for the treatment every fortnight for the rest of her life."
Richard Gooding, consultant haematologist for Leicester's Hospitals, said: "The condition is incredibly rare and difficult to recognise.
"As is the case with Shinay, the condition tends to cause sticky deposits on the eyes which harden into growths and cause significant problems with vision.
"At present there is no cure but it can be controlled with regular treatment which involves intravenous therapy every few weeks. So far her growths have not returned."
Debbie Adlerstein from Leicester Hospitals Charity says: "It is great for us to be able to work together with another local charity, the Bradgate Park Trust, to help Santa put a smile on children's faces at Christmas."
A Christmas Fair takes place this weekend at Bradgate Park, which will be open tomorrow and on Sunday between 10am and 3pm with stalls, Morrismen, Syston Brass Band and Newtown Linford Choral Society.
There will also be a barbecue, a Christmas tree sale, chainsaw wood sculptor, heavy horses and a camp of Sealed Knot soldiers from the English Civil War.
The grotto will be open every Saturday and Sunday until December 21.
For more information visit: http://bradgatepark.org/
