LITTLE Ryan Padgett may be confined to a wheelchair, but thanks to a charity he is about to have a lifetime wish come true.

Ryan, nine, of Barrowford, suffers from Duchennes Muscular Dystrophy, an inherited disorder which leads to progressive muscle weakness.

The youngster is unable to walk and spends much of his time in an electric wheelchair, but he will soon be living a dream when he gets to swim with dolphins in Florida.

The trip has been arranged by the Make A Wish Foundation, a national charity that grants the wishes of children living with life-threatening diseases.

The charity was contacted by Ryan's grandmother Pat Bateson, 60, after she saw an advert for the organisation in a national newspaper.

Ryan, a pupil at Barrowford Primary School, will be joined on the week-long trip by mum Sue, dad Colin, brother Adam, 13, and sister, Kelsey, 11.

Sue, 38, said: "We're all really excited about the trip. Although Colin and I aren't too keen on an eight-hour flight Ryan can't wait to get on the plane.

"The Make A Wish charity has been fantastic. Everything has been taken care of,which means we can relax a bit more and enjoy it.

"This is something Ryan has always wanted to do. We went to America three years ago and he fed dolphins but didn't swim with them. This time around he'll be in the water.

"The disease means Ryan is in a wheelchair, but the one thing that gives him some freedom is swimming, so this is an ideal activity.

"We had no idea what was happening until the Make A Wish charity called us and said they wanted to come and interview Ryan because they had been contacted by his nana.

"Someone from the charity came to see us in January and then we got a call in March asking us if we wanted to go to Florida.

"We know what fate holds in store for Ryan and so we have to make the most of the time we have together and hopefully this trip will be something for us all to remember."