While most youngsters were counting down the days until the Easter Bunny arrived, one Randalstown boy enjoyed an egg-stra special treat last week after being offered an exclusive tour of the eagerly anticipated new Primark store at the Fairhill Shopping Centre in Ballymena.
James Harrison became James the builder as he donned his hard hat and hi-vis for the very special tour with representatives from Cleary Contracting Limited to explore the new-build site, courtesy of Fairhill Centre Manager, Valerie McLernon.
It may seem like a peculiar half-term day out for a little boy, but for 10-year-old James, special treats really don’t get much better than this.
“James has a number of very special Interests, ” explained his mum, Christine McBurney. “He’s fascinated with bin lorries and recycling, and has made firm friends with the local guys who collect our bins every week. On top of this, he is – in his own words – ‘a big shopping centre guy’. And in his eyes, Fairhill really is one of the best!”
James has multiple needs which result in him attending a specialist school to support his language development and Autism. He has come through a lot in his little life, including a paediatric intensive care admission during the first Covid lockdown, following a near-fatal seizure which resulted in an epilepsy diagnosis. Thanks to outstanding care provided by both Antrim Area Hospital and the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, he pulled through – and one his first requests was a return trip to Fairhill!
“I would wager that his little face is familiar to many of the staff, as we visit at least once a week,” Christine told the Guardian. “He loves to walk around, look at all the pictures on the walls, see if there’s any changes – particularly with the ongoing building works and ensure all the lifts are in proper working order. We often joke that if he managed to get hold of a tall flag and a whistle, he would easily be mistaken for a tour guide in Rome or Paris! Tour guide ideations aside, if anyone needs a phone-a-friend for a Fairhill related question on Who Wants to be a Millionaire, then James is their man. He has a photo album of pictures from all around the centre and at different stages of the building work which he has used for Show and Tell in school. He has also built his own miniature shopping centres – modelled on Fairhill – courtesy of cardboard boxes, a hot glue gun and a not inconsiderable amount of determination!”
With James growing ever-more excited about the new-build store, his mum contacted the shopping centre to see if there was any possibility of further information to satiate his curiosity.
“So many people have joked that James should be there cutting the ribbon at the grand opening,” Christine laughed. “I’m quite sure there’s plenty of arrangements already in place for that though! I emailed on the off-chance we could attend the opening – it would be like Christmas came early. I couldn’t believe it when Centre Manager, Valerie McLernon emailed me back almost immediately to say that the contractors were happy to offer James a special tour. It was such a generous offer and I can’t explain just how much it means to James. He really couldn’t have had a better day. They were so patient, answering all of his questions and made him feel so special. They were so generous with their time, and even surprised him with some incredible goodies, including a Cleary Contracting hard hat, a wonderful transporter toy and Fairhill merchandise – plus extras to share with his friends in school.
“I can’t thank Valerie, Stephen and Martin enough for their kindness, as well as Jonathan Cleary who agreed to facilitate James’ visit. They went above and beyond to give James the most incredible experience and it speaks volumes about them.”
Centre Manager, Valerie McLernon said they were more than happy to oblige. “It was an honour to be involved in making a dream come true for James,” she said. “Seeing his joy and excitement reminds us of why kindness matters.”