Boy who lost friends and home in Grenfell Tower fire taken on trip of lifetime to New York

A brave 10-year-old boy who lost his home and a number of his friends in the devastating Grenfell Tower fire has been whisked away on the trip of a lifetime to New York.

Belal Cherbika was one of four children with inspirational stories who were flown by British Airways on a VIP flight to New York so they could “live like Kevin” from Home Alone 2.

The children met hordes of A-list celebrities during their once-in-a-lifetime trip, including Pixie Lott, Harry Maguire, Maya Jama, Jodie Whittaker, Millie Bobby Brown and Jon Culshaw.

Belal, who lived in Grenfell Walk at the base of the Grenfell Tower when the fire broke out, lost a number of his friends that night and was one of the first to witness the fire unfolding.

His family have also never been able to return to their home.

Hanan Cherbika, Belal’s mum, said: “Belal lost his friends, he lost his community. We’d lost our house. It’s been tough on him, it really has.

“He’s an amazing boy, he’s so strong and he’s trying to be strong for his mum and dad. So for him to have this opportunity is just amazing because it’s all about him.”

The 10-year-old was joined on the trip by Bradley, 9, from North Devon, who was involved in a car accident last year with his mum and older sister Keira, whose resulting injuries were fatal.

Nine-year-old guest Mayana’s mum was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called pseudomyxoma peritonei in September 2017 and has since been fundraising for The Pelican Cancer Foundation.

Sophie, 11, was diagnosed with a Wilms’ tumour on her kidney in October last year and for the last year has been receiving treatment before recently being given the all-clear.

During the three-day trip, the children got the chance to ice skate in Central Park, visit the Rockettes Show, go toy shopping at FAO Schwarz and eat in the Plaza Hotel’s Presidential Suite.

The star-studded cameos started at London’s Heathrow Terminal 5, where Pixie Lott revealed the trip destination during an intimate acoustic performance of ‘Walking in a Winter Wonderland’.

They were then checked-in to at the British Airways desk by Harry Maguire and Maya Jama

The trip marks the start of the British Airways Magic 100 project, which will see 100 acts of kindness performed by the airline in its Centenary year, 2019.

Alex Cruz, British Airways’ Chairman and CEO said: “New York is a magical destination to visit at Christmas whether you are a child or an adult, so it was the perfect place to stage our most ambitious BA Magic surprise yet.

“The children have had to cope with very challenging circumstances and their stories are moving and inspiring in equal measure. We wanted to give them and their parents a magical start to Christmas they will never forget.

“As part of our centenary celebrations in 2019 we’ll also be launching BA Magic 100 when we’ll look forward to surprising many more of our customers.”