Emily's Wish Trip

Disney Cruise ~ December 2011

It was pretty devastating having to cancel our Disney World trip twice and only to postpone it for a year.  We could only hope and pray that she would be well enough to travel at that time and not have anymore hospital stays.  When Emily had gotten out of ICU, Bryan went online and applied for a "wish" for Emily.  One of Bryan's co-workers has an adorable son that was granted a wish via The Rainbow Connection ~ its a Michigan based program that works just like "Make a Wish" but for Michigan residents only.  He suggested Bryan apply for Emily ~ it couldnt hurt, right?  Her doctor filled out all the information that was requested and soon we had a message on our answering machine that Emily was being granted a wish!  This was so overwhelming to us, especially everything that she has had to deal with!  As soon as we found out, we had started talking with Emily about the different options she had ~ anything from meeting the President of the US to a trip  to California to meet Justin Bieber (YES, she is a Bieber fan) or to take a trip anywhere she wanted to go ~ it was all her...all her decision!  It would be the biggest decision she would be allowed to make in this entire ordeal she has dealt with.  Yes, we tried to tell her what would probably be more beneficial to her (meeting someone probably wouldnt be as it would last a short time and she probably would be too nervous to talk).  She decided on a Disney Cruise!  Hey, Im in for that one!  So, this time we actually cancelled our Disney World trip but replaced it with her wish trip ~ WE WERE GOING ON A CRUISE!

Emily & Goofy at Castaway Cay in the Bahamas!

We went on the Disney Dream Cruise this past December (12/11)!  Let me just say, it was AMAZING!!! They outdid themselves by the attention they gave Emily (along with the other "wish" families that were there from "Make a Wish")!  It is a gift we will never forget and for just one week, we were able to be a "normal" family!  Yes, she still had to take her medicine twice a day, but we didnt take her blood pressure twice a day, it was a time to relax and that is exactly what we did!  I must say, this trip was probably the first time ~ in a long time ~ that I really sat down and didnt worry.  It was like we were a "normal" family on a trip.  Yes, Emily is fortunate enough to go to school like other kids and do things other kids do, but this week....i didnt have to wonder if the doctor was going to call, we had no doctor appts, this week she was a regular kid that wasnt "sick"!  The extra attention was great, but let me say ~ I would gladly pay back every dime if it meant Emily was well, no more medicine, no more doctor appts, just a regular kid!  I know that isnt going to happen so this gift that was given, hasnt been taken lightly and it is engraved in my heart forever!

Disney World ~ 12/11 on the tea cups after getting her hair done

Because of our trip, my feelings on wishes has changed.  I may step on some toes here so please forgive me if i offend anyone ~ that is NOT my intention.  Before my feelings were hey, free trip, why not!  But after the trip and knowing my child will deal with this for the rest of her life, I just feel wishes should be granted to kids that have a life-long illness. This is a battle Emily will have the rest of her life.  Because of all the chemo she has been on and will be on forever, she most likely will develop some form of cancer in life.  This terrifies me ~ something I worry about all the time!   Because of the chemo and her having to be on it forever (it keeps her system stable) she most likely will become infertile during puberty and with me having PCOS it doesnt help the situation.

Cruise 2011 ~ our last night..finally found a Cinderella dress on ebay!

When Emily was seeing her Hemoc doctors in 2007, I would be sitting in the waiting room seeing people from Make a Wish coming by to see these kids to do their applications.  I would sit there and think to myself, my child is sick why arent we being talked too? Then it hit me one day...my child will be better and if thats why they arent talking to me....I dont want them to talk to me.  Obviously, alot has happened to her since then and since our trip my feelings are different.   These trips, my opinion, should be given to kids that are battling a life long illness, who are terminal, who have a battle ahead of them like Emily.  It was such an amazing trip and for once i (as the mom) felt free of her disease....for just one week we were free!  If that is all we get, I will take it, hold onto the memories forever and keep pushing for one day when she can be free of medicine, doctor appts and just be "normal"!  For her though, this is normal...my precious baby girl, this is her normal.