A six-year-old boy fighting the rare neurodegenerative disorder Batten Disease was reunited with Prince Harry during a surprise visit from the royal earlier this week.
The family of Ollie Carroll said Prince Harry came to Great Ormond Street Hospital in London on Tuesday during a treatment session. The visit was a private and not official one, Kensington Palace officials told the Telegraph.
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Batten Disease is a genetic mutation that affects Ollie’s ability to walk and talk. His parents, Lucy and Mike, have been documenting Ollie’s battle on a Facebook page called Ollie’s Army Battling Against Battens.
The prince also visited with Ollie’s three-year-old sister, Amelia, who suffers from the disease as well.
“For an hour Prince Harry sat with us talking and playing with our children, laughing and making memories,” Ollie’s family wrote on Facebook.
“It was truly incredible to watch him with our children and to have the opportunity to talk with him about our journey with Battens.”
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The two first met at the Well Child awards in Oct. 2016, when Ollie won a Most Inspirational Child Award. Ollie’s family called the day “truly magical,” because Ollie was able to stand up on his own to greet the prince.
Soon after that day they said they received news of a new treatment for the disease, which left them with hope – so they wrote him a letter to thank him.
“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 picture of Harry and Ollie stirred up some memories of his mother; some people on social media compared the picture to one of Diana, Princess of Wales, holding a cancer patient.
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