A young Scot whose dreams to be a pilot were dashed after being diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy has met a real life RAF hero.
Amandeep, from Glasgow, was surprised during a virtual meeting with the longest-serving Red Arrows airman Mike Ling.
The 20-year-old was also gifted his own set of ‘wings’ - a flying badge given to members - by the RAF Benevolent Fund during the event at the Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice.
Dr Sheonad Laidlaw, who looks after Amandeep, nominated him for the Muscle Help Foundation’s Muscle Dreams programme after learning about his love of aviation.
She explained: “The Young Adult Service at The Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice has supported Amandeep for a number of years, but since the beginning of the pandemic Amandeep has shielded and this support has been needed more than ever.
“Sometimes this support is simply listening and talking as he was socially isolated.
“I learned more about his dreams and aspirations, and this included his childhood dream to be a RAF pilot.
“With his 21st birthday approaching I wanted to nominate Amandeep for a Muscle Dream as a celebration of all that he achieves daily and to remind him that there is a vast world outside his room waiting for him to explore.”
The special surprise took place on Friday, March 18, and has been hailed an “amazing experience” by Amandeep.
He said: “I wanted to become a pilot as it was a career that I felt I would be ‘more than capable of doing’.
“It was a privilege to meet everyone and receive the wings. Thank you to everyone for organising this surprise.”
Mike Ling, who retired from the RAF in 2018, added: “I was truly delighted to meet Amendeep virtually and to talk to him about flying and the Red Arrows.
“Despite the restrictions placed on him by DMD, Amendeep is a very cheerful young man with a positive mindset and it was a real pleasure to speak to him as a huge fan of aviation. “I'm grateful to the Muscle Help Foundation and the RAF Benevolent Fund for inviting me to be a part of Amendeep's Muscle Dream experience."
Michael McGrath, founder and CEO of the Muscular Dystrophy charity, told how they were determined to make Amandeep’s ‘life goal’ come true.
He said: “When Amandeep’s Muscle Dream nomination arrived in the charity’s inbox just after Christmas last year, I was struck by two things.
“Firstly, how the cruelty of his debilitating, life-limiting condition has robbed him of his dream of being an RAF pilot, and secondly, his passion and love of flying.
“Nominated by specialist palliative care GP Dr Sheonad Laidlaw, it became clear in our communications that to ‘earn his wings’ was a life goal.”
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is one of the most severe and common forms of the muscle-wasting condition which usually affects boys.
It is normally diagnosed in early childhood - between the ages of two and three - with sufferers usually only living into their 20s and 30s.
As well as causing progressive muscle weakness, DMD also causes significant heart and breathing problems which require intensive medical support.
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