Highgate boy, 4, donates toy cars to world record challenge supporting sick children
Thomas Wells next to the world record-breaking line of toy cars. - Credit: Archant
A Highgate four-year-old helped to set a new world record in support of other young children with life-threatening illnesses.
Thomas Wells, who attends Avenue Nursery in Highgate Avenue, donated a handful of his toy cars to a line of miniature cars, comprising 24,189 in total, that were assembled to raise awareness of a hospice for children and young adults.
The queue of cars, which snaked around Beaulieu Motor Museum in Hampshire, set a new world record for the longest line of toy cars, comfortably beating the previous record of 14,310.
The challenge earlier this month was held to boost the profile of Naomi House and Jacksplace, a nationwide hospice charity for children and young people.
It is a cause which means a lot to Thomas’s parents who feel fortunate to have a fit and healthy son.
Thomas spent a week in University College Hospital’s neonatal intensive care having been starved of oxygen at birth.
His father Chris, 43, kept a bedside vigil for Thomas with his wife Sophie, a Channing Junior School teacher, throughout their son’s hospital stay.
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“It was an anxious period,” he said. “We were taking it in turns to stand by him and make sure he was ok. He was wired up to a lot of monitors.
“Thomas went through MRIs to investigate whether there was any kind of brain damage. The facilities they had and the skills of the specialists were second to none.
“We are so relieved that he hasn’t experienced any long-term issues. We were so lucky that option was there for Thomas in his hour of need.”
Company director Chris, who lives with his wife and two children in Claremont Road, Highgate, said it was important Thomas knows about his dramatic start to life.
“We still talk about this with Thomas and he goes back to UCH and donates a toy each Christmas,” said Chris.
“It’s something we want to keep him aware of so that he knows how lucky he is and how other children aren’t as lucky.”
Describing his son’s reaction to the world record challenge, Chris said: “He was very excited, he packed his cars in his rucksack preparing to go away for the trip. He was very happy when he got the opportunity to add them to the line.
“We followed the line around the museum and it was amazing to see, the line was endless.”
For more information about Naomi House and Jacksplace, visit naomihouse.org.uk
