UK Children Tour MacDill

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Danielle Conde
  • 6th Air Mobility Wing public affairs
MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  "That's massive!" exclaimed one of the United Kingdom boys as he and two others hurried to buy $2 ice cream scoops in a waffle cone from the Base Exchange food court at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, Nov. 4, 2014.

This 30-minute stop at the food court was part of a base tour a group of 11 to 17-year-old boys from England were attending as part of their week-long holiday to the state of Florida.

This tour in particular was unique because each of the attendees, excluding the medical staff who accompanied them, had a rare blood disorder known as hemophilia, in which their blood does not clot normally.

"This trip offered an opportunity to experience something that they would otherwise not encounter, and to develop and enhance self-esteem in a safe and sharing environment where their medical needs would be taken care of," said Lara Oyesiku, hemophilia advanced nurse practitioner and coordinator of the trip.

After nine years, the Oxford Group of the Haemophilia Society was finally able to raise enough money to fund the getaway.

"Many of these children may never have the chance of going abroad again, either because of the fear of hemophilic problems while in the foreign country or because of lack of finances," said Oyesiku.

Although they will not be able to join the military in their own country, the tour provided the boys with an opportunity to see what it is like to live on an Air Force base and to talk to Airmen about their specific Air Force specialties.

The tour began with a visit to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, followed by lunch in Base Exchange food court before meeting the military working dogs, and finishing up at the explosive ordinance disposal facility.

"The tour was amazing and very informative," said Oyesiku. "It was a real privilege to be able to come here."