Tremayne Rayner was surprised with a room makeover and a visit from Batman, Batgirl and Robin.
Tremayne Rayner was surprised with a room makeover and a visit from Batman, Batgirl and Robin.
A surprise visit from Batman and a superhero-themed bedroom makeover was a wish come true for a Tauranga boy.
When Batman walked into his classroom at Te Akau Ki Papamoa Primary School, Tremayne Rayner had no idea he was there for him.
The 9-year-old was diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma on December 21, 2013, when doctors found a 10cm lump in his stomach. Since then he has completed numerous rounds of chemotherapy and is now in remission.
Make-A-Wish arranged for Batman to surprise Tremayne at school, then take him for a ride in his Batmobile before taking him home to see his made-over superhero room.
Tremayne, who loves all Marvel characters, said the afternoon was "cool" and "exciting".
The best part was stopping at KFC with Batman to get some afternoon tea and his favourite part of his new bedroom was the posters of Superman, Spiderman and Batman.
Mum Belinda Douch said the day was a great success.
"Tremayne loves his room. He's stoked. I can't get him out of it," she said.
"I turned up at the same time as Batman so he thought I was there to pick him up and Batman was there for someone else. He was just really excited. It was cool."
His room was made over with posters, new superhero curtains and blankets and pillows and an Avengers bedspread. He will also get new bunks and drawers.
Batman took Tremayne Rayner for a ride in his Batmobile.
Ms Douch said the visit from Batman was exciting for Tremayne and his classmates.
"The whole class loved seeing Batman. It was aimed at one kid but it made 30 kids' day," she said.
Tremayne knew he was getting a bedroom makeover but did not know it would be happening this week and knew nothing of the visit from Batman.
"It's been pretty cool. It's been worth the wait," Ms Douch said.
Make-A-Wish volunteer Bets Thomas was thrilled to see how excited Tremayne and his classmates were at the visit of Batman.
"Make-A-Wish is about enhancing these kids' lives. Giving them some magic," she said.
* Make-A-Wish grants the one true wish of children with life-threatening medical conditions aged 3 to 17.
* About 400 children are diagnosed with a life-threatening medical condition in New Zealand each year and it is the charity's vision to grant every eligible child's wish by 2018. Last year 185 wishes were granted.
