When I was 7 years old, my family and I spent Thanksgiving in Disney World for my wish with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Make-A-Wish is a foundation best known for granting the wishes of children with critical health conditions. I was born with a heart condition, and I’ve been lucky to be healthy for most of my life. However, Make-A-Wish still has made such a positive impact on my childhood and on my family. Thirteen years after my wish, I reflected with my parents and younger sister on Make-A-Wish and what our trip meant to us.
Disney World
After our trip to Disney, my parents agreed that they could never take my sister and I there again because a normal experience could just never compare. Of course, we had FastPasses, meaning that we could cut the line for rides and usually didn’t have to wait for more than about ten minutes. The longest time we waited for a ride was an hour, but that was for the Toy Story Ride, which has notorious long wait times.
My family and I all wore buttons from Make-A-Wish, and Disney World trains employees look out for Wish kids. When we watched shows and performances, I was often picked by cast members to be included in the show. I was interviewed by Mike Wazowski on the Laugh Floor and got to dance with Wildcats at the High School Musical show. Even though I knew I would probably get picked for these things, it was still surprising and exciting every time. Cast members also went out of their way to have special meet-and-greets with my family and I. I got a private room to meet three of the Disney princesses. They took time to get to know my sister and I and did not rush us. There was even time for my sister to give Cinderella a hand-made card. The whole trip, I’d been crazy about meeting my favorite character, Daisy Duck, but we could never find her. On our last night, we caught her just as she was leaving for the night. Her manager pulled her aside to get pictures with me without asking questions or rushing us. Every employee went above and beyond to make my trip the best it could be.
Give Kids The World
Going to Disney World is the most popular request among Wish kids. So popular that another charity, Give Kids The World (GKTW), actually created a resort near Disney World for Wish kids and their families to stay in. This village was another special part of our trip, and they did so many small things that made our experience. For example, there was always a gift left in our room when we came back each night, whether it was snacks, Disney-themed toys or stuffed animals. As well, GKTW gave my family a day away from Disney to explore the village. My mom, sister and I went to a spa and got our nails done, and my sister and I got to make pillows and other crafts to remember our trip by. One of the most special parts was a hall in the village with a ceiling covered in gold stars. The stars had signatures from Wish kids, and I got to add my own star to the ceiling that will be there forever.
Additional Surprises
My Make-A-Wish experience wasn’t just contained to Orlando. My family and I knew that Make-A-Wish had arranged a ride for us to the airport, but we were beyond surprised when a limo pulled up in our driveway. One of my favorite memories from the trip was changing the colors of the lights on the ceiling of the limo on our way to the airport.
Make-A-Wish offered my family and I a day during our trip to go to another theme park, as well. We ended up going to Sea World (I know, but it was 2009, “Blackfish” was not released until 2013). We sat in the front row at a whale show and even fed the dolphins. After our trip, Make-A-Wish gave us tickets to redeem at almost any theme park in the country.
One of the last surprises I got from my Disney trip came two years later. When the Disney Store opened up at a mall in my hometown, I was invited, along with another Wish Kid who went to Disney World, to open the store. We were given gift cards to spend at the store and got to explore it before the opening. Then, we got to cut the red ribbon at the front doors in front of the other mall patrons.
Why Make-A-Wish is so important
When I had my wish granted, I was actually very healthy and hadn’t been to the hospital in a few years. Kids who get their wishes granted are in different stages of health. In the village, there were kids like myself, and there were kids who were on their last vacation. These wishes are so important because children who have health conditions have to grow up so fast, and we don’t always get to have typical childhood experiences. But when our wishes are granted, Wish Kids are given a magical experience where we can just be children. In preparation for this article, I talked to my parents and sister about our trip, and we agreed that not only are we incredibly grateful for that trip, but that Make-A-Wish restores our faith in humanity. The entire trip, we were given royal treatment, and it was a reminder of how kind and giving people can be.
This semester, I joined the Wish Makers club on my campus to raise money for Make-A-Wish. Our club is working to raise enough money to grant one child’s wish. If you can and wish to, you can donate to my page. But more than that, I hope that the story of my wish allows you to see how easy it is to make a positive impact on someone’s life. Make-A-Wish is only possible with its volunteers, donors and employees at places like Disney World. My experience was made by people who chose to take time out of their busy lives to make mine special. It doesn’t take much to transform someone’s life.