Stepping Stones NI, has made trainee Heather Mack’s dream come true through a real life ‘Surprise, Surprise’ meet with Holywood icon Jamie Dornan.
The actor, heard of Stepping Stones NI plea to make Heather’s dream come true while filming the BBC 2 crime drama, The Fall, in Belfast at the end of January. Jamie then arranged for Heather to meet him on the set of The Fall after hearing her story.
Heather, 34, from Maghaberry attends Stepping Stones NI three times a week as a trainee wedding stationary crafter. Pink Elephant is a social enterprise developed by the charity creating bespoke wedding stationary for brides and grooms across Ireland. Despite having cerebral palsy and being confined to a wheelchair, Heather is supported by the Stepping Stones NI job coaches to create beautifully crafted bespoke wedding stationary.
After hearing about Heather’s wish to meet Jamie the charity’s Chief Officer, Paula Jennings and Marketing & Business Development Manager, Ciara Brennan, made it their mission to find Jamie and make the request. Paula says “Our trainees are at the heart of what we do, Stepping Stones NI is all about achieving dreams and realising potential. When we heard that Jamie was in Belfast filming we knew we had to make this dream come true for Heather”.
Stepping Stones NI trainee, Heather, presents Jamie Dornan with a handmade thank you card from Pink Elephant and a picture frame made by trainees at Stepping Stones NI Guild Commended Picture Framing.
The actor famed for Mr Grey in the Holywood hit ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ says he was delighted to make Heather’s dream come true “It was a real pleasure to invite Heather down to the set of The Fall to meet myself and the team. She is a fantastic girl and it’s wonderful to see such drive and positivity from a girl who faces many barriers”.
Heather is over the moon with the surprise from the charity, she says “I have been a fan of Jamie for a long time but I never imagined my dream to meet him would actually come true. It was amazing to meet him and I am grateful to everyone who made it happen”.
