A YOUNG Swansea man was standing on a podium of pride when he was granted the opportunity of a lifetime to meet his hero.

Shaun Donovan, of Dolycoed, Dunvant, was taken by limousine to visit Formula One World Champion Jenson Button at the Brawn GP base on the same day Jenson signed a deal to drive for McLaren next season.

Shaun is battling a type of brain tumour called Craniopharyngioma, and his trip to see Jenson was granted by the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

He said: "I just felt overwhelmed, so completely fascinated by everything and everyone, how nice everyone was.

"The whole day was great."

Shaun donned a pink shirt for the occasion, in homage to the fact that Jenson's father always wears a pink shirt for luck.

And then he amused all by bowing before his hero.

The 18-year-old said: "Jenson is an all-round nice guy.

"He was so calm and laughing and joking with me on what must have been a tense day. He had to go straight after meeting me and I guess it was to sign the deal.

"We were standing in the lobby at the end of the tour and the news came up on Sky that he had signed for McLaren."

Shaun, who has been a fan of Formula One since he was nine or 10, was able to get a lot more out of his trip than just seeing the Formula One star.

He also got an in-depth look at the championship-winning Brawn GP car at the team's Northamptonshire base, as well as bumping into BBC F1 presenter Jake Humphries and former England Rugby player Matt Dawson.

He does not know who put his name forward for the treat, but he had some heartfelt words for them.

He said: "It has been a once in a lifetime opportunity and I just want to thank them for an unbelievable experience.

"The Make-A-Wish staff were so kind. They'll go out of their way for you all the time, and they're all volunteers as well."

The Make-A-Wish Foundation charity grants wishes to children and young people fighting life-threatening illnesses.

A spokeswoman for the charity said: "There are currently 20,000 children and young people like Shaun in the UK fighting life-threatening illness. This year around 1,000 children will turn to Make-A-Wish to experience the magic of a Make-A-Wish wish."

To refer someone to Make-A-Wish, contact 01276 405060 or see www.make-a-wish.org