Dream comes true for Peterborough Chelsea fan with brain condition as she meets Champions League winners

Lauren Cadby’s room at PJ Care’s Eagle Wood centre in Bretton is a shrine to the club with scarves adorning the walls, pictures of the players and a Chelsea FC duvet cover.

After spotting the 32 year old’s room on recent television coverage of PJ Care, Chelsea FC Foundation invited Lauren, who has Huntington’s disease, to meet the players at a training day.

Staff at Eagle Wood swung into action to make her dream a reality.

Eagle Wood on Bretton Way is home to more than 100 residents with progressive neurological conditions like Huntington’s disease and young onset dementia, as well as people with acquired brain injuries.

Carers Megan Taylor and Sam Johnson gave up their days off to accompany Lauren and nurse, Farland Badza, drove them all to Surrey in the PJ Care minibus.

Dressed in a Chelsea t-shirt, fleece jacket, hat, scarf and gloves, with a Chelsea blanket on her knees and flags adorning her wheelchair, Lauren watched the players go through their paces at the club’s Cobham training ground in Stoke D’Abernon.

She got to meet N’Golo Kante, Ross Barkley, Hakim Ziyech, Marcos Alonso, Thomas Tuchel and goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.

She said: “It was amazing!

“It was brilliant to meet them all and Kante was so nice, he spent a lot of time talking to me. I even got to see the Champions League trophy! They made it so special for me. 
“I want to say thank you to the club, and to Megan, Sam and Farland for making this possible.”

Eagle Wood manager, Paula Yorkston-Toy said: “We had to make this happen for Lauren as she is a total superfan.

“Her room is just a sea of blue and white and we know not to disturb her when there’s a game on the television!

“When we told her she’d been invited to go and watch them train, she couldn’t believe it, I’ve never seen her so excited. We’re thrilled to be able to do this for her.”