A nine-year-old Walsall patient has been given a special behind-the-scenes look at his favourite animals, thanks to the Well Wishers charity and West Midlands Safari Park.

Jude Wigley, who has the rare, life-limiting condition lissencephaly, is a huge fan of lions.

Lissencephaly is a rare condition which affects brain development and can cause severe developmental delay, mobility difficulties and epilepsy.

Jude’s condition means he spends a lot of time on the Children’s Ward at Walsall Manor Hospital and he captured everyone’s hearts when he was a patient during the World Cup.

Caring staff made sure he was still able to enjoy the tournament by arranging for a TV, funded through donations to Well Wishers, to be put in his room so he and his family could cheer the team on.

And after hearing about Jude’s love of lions, Well Wishers worked with West Midlands Safari Park to arrange a special personalised video to lift his spirits.

The video gives Jude a behind-the-scenes look at the lions’ home, introducing him to the animals and showing him what happens at feeding time.

Jude’s mum, Hayley, said: “Anyone who knows Jude knows how much he loves lions, so when I showed him the video his reaction blew me away.

“Jude can’t talk or tell you when he’s happy, but his face said everything. When your child is really poorly, it’s moments like this that mean everything and give you something to smile about during such a difficult time.

“We call Jude our little lion because he has fought through so much and always finds the strength to keep going – he really does have the strength of a lion.

“I can’t thank Georgie, Well Wishers and everyone at West Midlands Safari Park enough for taking the time to do something so special for him. It’s a moment I’ll never forget.”

Georgie Westley, Fundraising and Engagement Manager at Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, said: “After hearing that Hay.ley and Jude needed cheering up and how much Jude loves lions, we wanted to see if we could arrange something special that was personal to him.

“We are extremely grateful to West Midlands Safari Park for helping us make this happen and taking the time to create something especially for Jude.

“Being able to bring a smile to patients and their families is what Well Wishers is all about, and we hope Jude enjoys getting a special look at his favourite animals. Thanks to Asda St Matthews we also gave Hayley a lovely pamper hamper.”

Bethan Davis, Senior PR & Events Executive at West Midlands Safari Park, said: “When we heard Jude’s story and found out how much he loves lions, the keepers and I were thrilled to be able to create something especially for him and give him a unique glimpse behind the scenes at the Safari Park.

“It was wonderful to share a different side of the lions’ world with Jude and his family and hear about his reaction to the video.

“We hope it gave Jude and his family a special moment to enjoy together, and it was a real privilege for our team to be able to play a small part in creating a memory for them.”