A 14-year-old from Suffolk was among 200 disadvantaged and seriously-ill children who enjoyed a host of once-in-a-lifetime experiences in Florida.

For the first time since the coronavirus pandemic, youngsters from across the UK were taken on the holiday, organised by Dreamflight.

They visited a host of attractions, including SeaWorld, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Universal Studios.

For many, it was their first time abroad without their families.

During their penultimate trip, the children got the opportunity to swim with dolphins at Discovery Cove in Orlando on Sunday.

Several of the youngsters were carefully lifted from their wheelchairs to get into the water, where instructors and carers helped them get up close with the mammals.

The children, wearing life jackets and wetsuits, rode on the dolphins in the water and got the chance to see them jump into the air.

Daniel White, 14, from Bury St Edmunds, who was diagnosed with small bowel Crohn's disease in 2021, said: “That was amazing, I never ever thought I would do it.

“The dolphin did some tricks and then we got to pet it, then we had a little ride with it. It was amazing.

“The whole thing was amazing, they’re incredible creatures, it was the highlight of the trip.

“It’s something I can’t do back at home.

“The rollercoasters are also great, so I’ve really enjoyed the holiday. Some were quite scary at first but I have gotten used to them.

The 192 children had been picked to join the 10-day holiday after battling serious illness, disability or trauma.

More than 6,000 children from across the country have been involved in Dreamflight holidays since the first one in 1987.

This is the 34th trip put on by the charity, costing £1 million.

Paralympic gold medal swimmer and Dreamflight patron Liz Johnson, who went on the trip as an 11-year-old in 1997, said: “A lot of these young people spend their whole life being the odd one out, whereas here, there’s a lot of authentic inclusion.

“Their differences are normalised and they’ve got the best group of volunteers looking after them, so they can just feel empowered to find themselves.”