FacebookIt's no wonder people love Prince Harry.
The prince recently reunited with Ollie Carroll, a six-year-old terminally ill child he met last year, and spent time in a hospital with both him and his little sister, Amelia Carroll. Both suffer from the rare and incurable Batten disease, a genetic childhood nervous system disorder that eventually renders patients unable to walk, see, eat or breathe. Most do not live past age 12. The kids' two older brothers were tested for it and do not have it.
The children's parents Lucy Carroll and husband Mike Carroll have documented their family's struggles in a Facebook page titled Ollie's Army Battling Against Battens.
"For an hour Prince Harry sat with us talking and playing with our children, laughing and making memories," they wrote Thursday, alongside photos of Harry embracing Ollie and laughing with Amelia. "The very thing our children want the most in life, to be happy and having fun. We feel so much pride knowing that Ollie and Amelia are touching the life's of the people they meet, with their love and their strength. The love, the support and the laughter within that treatment room on Tuesday will stay with us forever."
Harry had met Ollie at the WellChild Awards last October, where he and other ill children were honored. Ollie, who has lost the ability to stand on his own, mustered the strength to give the prince a big hug. His mother and Harry later corresponded via mail.
In a message posted Thursday, Lucy and Mike revealed that weeks after the WellChild Awards, they were told Ollie and Amelia had been "granted access to compassionate use of a pioneering treatment for CNL2 Batten Disease." Last week, the FDA approved a new drug that it says will slow the loss of ambulation in patients age three or older who suffer from this particular form of the ailment.
Lucy and Mike said they wrote another letter to Harry to let him know about the news and to thank him for "giving our son the strength to stand when we thought this was no longer possible." On Tuesday, Harry visited both Ollie and Amelia at Great Ormond Street Hospital, where they were getting their treatment.
"From the bottom of our hearts we thank Prince Harry for his support, his time and his kindness towards our family and our journey with Batten Disease," the message continued. "It was truly incredible to watch him with our children and to have the opportunity to talk with him about our journey with Battens. We would also like to thank Great Ormond Street hospital and the WellChild Charity for all their ongoing support."