Disney’s Make A Wish Came True
When our child has an illness for which there is no known cure or remedy, as parents, we find that we feel helpless in the pursuit of wanting to create a normal life and future for our child. The entire family is impacted by the illness of a child. The impact on the child with the illness can be devastating; the impact on the child’s siblings can be equally challenging as they strive to understand what is going on, why their lives are turned upside down, why the sick child is getting so much attention, why life doesn’t seem to be fun anymore. These challenges that I describe have touched my family on a personal level as my daughter, at age 11, was diagnosed with an incurable, inoperable brain tumor and her brothers, aged 7 and 9 at the time, made many sacrifices as they supported their big sister through a most difficult time.
And then along came “Make-A-Wish”, a dream come true! My daughter was given the choice of living an experience that she may not ever have in her future as she faced the challenges of a potentially terminal disease. One of the frequently chosen “wishes” is a trip to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, which is what she chose!! And oh “what a dream come true” it was! My family was met at the airport with limousine service that whisked us off to the Village where other families with health challenges also stayed. And, yes, I did say family! The entire family was invited and we had all expenses paid for each family member. We stayed in our own condo with 3 bedrooms, kitchen, and everything one could need for a week at Disney! Meals were served in a Gingerbread House Restaurant where everyone could order anything from the menu they wanted. My daughter wore a “Special Person” badge so that the family could go to the front of every line, making sure she could enjoy the rides without becoming overly tired from the waiting lines.
The Village had a caboose where all of the kids could go play free video games! This was especially nice for her brothers as they played with other friends while my daughter rested quietly.
For families like mine, the week at
