A TERMINALLY-ill Blackburn boy has experienced a ‘fairytale holiday’ in the USA, where he swam with dolphins.

Six-year-old McCauley Riley of Bolton Road, Ewood, suffers from Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), which affects one in 30,000 children in the UK.

The diagnosis means his brain is shutting down – he has already lost vision and mobility – and has a life expectancy of between a few months and a few years.

While he can still enjoy such trips, the Make a Wish Foundation paid for him to experience a week-long holiday in Florida.

McCauley’s parents, Wayne, 35, and Catherine Riley, 42, said they were amazed by McCauley’s reaction.

Catherine said: “It was non-stop and Mac enjoyed every second. We went to Universal Studios, Disney Land, Sea World and to Give The Kids The World – a ‘candy land’ complex for terminally-ill children, where they had Father Christmas, Hallowe’en things and fairytales one after another.

“When we were there, Mac and his dad got in a big lake with six dolphins and he really took to one called Jenna. He was kissing her and rubbing her tummy.

“We weren’t sure how much he’d be able to see, but afterwards he was telling us everything he had seen in the lake and at the theme parks, and it was amazing to hear him talk about it.

“I’m still quite speechless about all the wonderful things he got to do.

“The entire family enjoyed the holiday and Mac was still happy when he was on the plane home on Sunday.

“He kept saying he wanted to get home so he could go to school.

“He doesn’t moan about anything – he’s not like a normal child that will complain about a headache or being tired.

“Even though you can tell he’s tired or struggling, he’ll insist that he’s fine and will carry on.”

She added: “He’s an inspiration to us all.”

The family are now fundraising for more trips for McCauley, including a holiday in Benidorm, where he hopes to meet the cast of the hit ITV comedy of the same name.