West Ham United's first team stars provided some local
kids with an early Christmas present on Thursday afternoon, when
they headed down to Basildon hospital to wish their young patients
a happy Christmas.
Alan Curbishley's squad headed straight to the hospital after training at Chadwell Heath yesterday, and handed out Hammers goodie bags and presents to youngsters on the Wagtail and Puffin wards, before visiting the new-born intensive care unit.
Hammers defender Anton Ferdinand said: "It's been a humbling experience to come here and meet some of the kids, who still have a smile on their faces even though they will be spending Christmas in hospital.
"Some of them aren't much younger than me, and to see what they have to go through puts everything in perspective.
"I met one young boy named Taylor who told me he had filled out a wish-form, and the wish was to run out with me at Upton Park one day, so I'm hoping to make that come true for him before the end of the season."
Alan Curbishley's squad headed straight to the hospital after training at Chadwell Heath yesterday, and handed out Hammers goodie bags and presents to youngsters on the Wagtail and Puffin wards, before visiting the new-born intensive care unit.
Hammers defender Anton Ferdinand said: "It's been a humbling experience to come here and meet some of the kids, who still have a smile on their faces even though they will be spending Christmas in hospital.
"Some of them aren't much younger than me, and to see what they have to go through puts everything in perspective.
"I met one young boy named Taylor who told me he had filled out a wish-form, and the wish was to run out with me at Upton Park one day, so I'm hoping to make that come true for him before the end of the season."