A FAMILY has been granted their ultimate Christmas wish.
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Three-year-old Jacob Heffey will spend his first Christmas out of intensive care and at home with his family in Wagga.
"He's been at hospital since he was born," his mother Alissa Heffey said.
Jacob has full facial paralysis after being born with Mobius syndrome.
He can't swallow, breathe or eat without assistance.
It's estimated he is one in only 5000 to 10,000 with the syndrome worldwide.
Jacob and his family converged on Wagga Botanic Gardens yesterday as part of Wagga Base Hospital's sixth annual children's Christmas party.
"This time last year we were doing ICU visits and trying to organise the others with school," Mrs Heffey said.
"He loves being outdoors because he doesn't get out much."
While his prognosis remains unclear, his family hopes he will be discharged from hospital next year.
"Every year he gets older, he gets stronger," Mrs Heffey said.
The party was for children who had long stays, ongoing treatment or outreach at the hospital to celebrate the festive season outside the confines of a ward.
"It's to give the kids who are at hospital for regular treatment something other than treatment," clinical support officer and party organiser Kim Gordon said.
"It's giving something back to the kids.
"It's just fun and excitement, that's what we're hoping to get out of it.
"It takes their minds off the things they're going through."
Up to 50 children attended the party that included face painting, sack races, a barbecue lunch and Santa arriving on a fire engine.
The picnic hoped to communicate to both the children and their parents or carers that ward staff were human and hospitals weren't all "gloom and doom".
Jayne Howard, 10, has travelled between Sydney and Wagga with a bowel condition almost all her life.
She is currently on a 12-month treatment plan at Westmead Hospital in Sydney and takes steroids daily.
Her father Steven Howard said yesterday's party allowed children, parents and carers to forget about hospitals and enjoy the Christmas season.
"Today's really good because hospitals are a pretty sad place, you see so many sad things go on there," Mr Howard said.