In early 2016 I was diagnosed with a rare form of ovarian cancer, and underwent four rounds of chemotherapy. During this time, I met with my doctor and was informed that I qualified as a candidate to receive a wish from the wish-granting organization Make A Wish, North Texas. I was so excited, as I had never received anything extremely special such as what Make A Wish had to offer, like a big shopping spree, a vacation, or a meet and greet with a celebrity. I met with my wish granters, two hip women that were very kind. They presented me with gifts and lots of paperwork for my Mom. Then they asked me what I wanted my wish to be. I debated on going to Hawaii, meeting Tyler The Creator, or staying at Disneyworld. I chose Disneyworld, and I’m glad I did.
After everything was set up, I was set to board a plane to Florida in November, after I finished my four chemotherapy treatment rounds and would be well enough to go. When the day finally came, I crammed myself into a small plane seat and sat in anxiety for the 3 1/2 hour trip to Orlando. I didn’t know what to expect, and I was afraid it was all too good to be true. But that wasn’t the case. I realized this when I got to Give Kids The World Village, a hotel-esque community near Disneyworld where all the kids that wished to go to the resort stayed. It was amazing. You could have ice cream whenever you wanted, and characters from the resort came to do meet and greets during the week.
The real fun, however, began the first day I went to the resort. It was beautiful. Magical, even. The buildings were sculpted beautifully and there was something fun to do in every part of the park. The windows of the shops displayed gifts that beckoned you to come in and buy them, it was like a magnetic pull. The park was also full of realistic and fun characters to meet. I met all that were present for the 5 days that I was there, including Stitch, Goofy, Winnie & Tigger, and Chip & Dale. As soon as I strapped myself into the buckle for the Splash Mountain or Pirates of the Caribbean ride, the rush of adrenaline soared through my veins and I could feel the excitement throughout my body, from my head to my toes.
Every minute I was there was pure fun. I ran from shop to restaurant to ride to exhibit to character, loving every minute of it. The only downside was the boiling hot Florida sun. The final day was bittersweet. After meeting with some online friends, I left with a renewed sense of positivity and hope. I began to believe then in the power and existence of good things happening, instead of my usual cynical view of things. I also took with me a sense of thankfulness, as a lot of the kids there were worse off than me in terms of their illness, and it made me realize that though I had cancer, the world was not ending. My 5 days there is something I will remember and cherish for the rest of my life.
