King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden granted the wish of a seven-year-old cancer-stricken young boy when he met him yesterday morning at the Royal Palace of Stockholm.
The meeting was organised by Sweden’s Min Stora Dag (My Special Day) which is similar to the Make-a-Wish Foundation. The King’s youngest child, Princess Madeleine is the patron of Min Stora Dag.
Akram in the Royal Palace. Photo: Raphael Stecksén / Kungahuset.se
Akram, who is battling leukaemia, and his family were able to visit His Majesty yesterday. He and his family were able to witness King Carl XVI Gustaf receive foreign ambassadors from Paraguay, Mozambique, Bulgaria and Nepal and the ceremony that goes along with the event.
While he has been in the hospital, he studied what the King does and spoke of His Majesty to his family often. Akram wanted to meet the King, and Min Stora Dag made it happen. The seven-year-old, his parents, and brother were able to meet privately with the King after the ambassador ceremony in Lovisa Ulrika’s Dining Room. Min Stora Dag’s Secretary General Jennifer McShane was also in attendance.
Photo: Raphael Stecksén/Kungahuset.se
Through Min Stora Dag, the King’s wife, Queen Silvia and daughter, Princess Madeleine granted the wish of a little girl named Enna at Princess Sibylla’s apartments in the Royal Palace in September 2016. Enna also presented Madeleine with a drawing she had made for her during the visit.
Min Stora Dag (My Special Day) is the Swedish equivalent to the Make a Wish Foundation. They make dreams come true for seriously ill children and teenagers. The non-profit organisation helps children from the ages of 4 to 18-years-old and was founded in 2000. By 2014, it had helped over 2,500 children. Min Stora Dag has said about their vision, “All children with serious illnesses in Sweden should be a part of something positive and out of the ordinary that provides power and self-esteem.”
