Kids Wish Network grants wishes

A very special girl from Katy, Texas recently enjoyed a magical dream come true thanks to a children's organization in Florida called Kids Wish Network that grants wishes to kids with life-threatening illnesses.

In many ways, Makayla is a typical four-year-old. A precocious preschooler, this sweet little girl most enjoys playing with her stuffed animals, coloring and eating pink ice cream. But Makayla's life changed drastically and suddenly just six months ago when she was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. While her doctors immediately began treating her with extremely aggressive radiation, they also prepared the family for the worst; they did not expect Makayla to survive beyond the year.

Makayla's mother, Suzanne, learned about Kids Wish Network through a social worker at Texas Children's Hospital. There was no hesitation when Makayla was asked for her number one wish pick: she wanted to go to Disney World!

Makayla's wish coordinator, Lora, immediately began the arrangements to make her dream come true. She not only secured airline tickets and theme park passes, she also booked hotel accommodations, made dinner reservations for the family at area restaurants, arranged for spending money and more. Lora also secured the enthusiastic and very generous support of the Katy Lion's Club, whose members were so touched by Makayla's story that they were more than thrilled to help. In fact, said Lora, the group went above and beyond in their efforts to make Makayla's wish extra special. Not only did the Lion's Club jump in to garner community support by sponsoring a golf tournament to raise money for her trip, they also arranged for a spa day for Suzanne. "They really felt like Mom needed something special too," said Lora. "They were awesome!"

Makayla's wish got off to a rocky start when the threat of Hurricane Rita cancelled the family's flight from Houston to Orlando. After battling hours of traffic past evacuees fleeing the city, her parents feared that Makayla's only dream would not come true. But Kids Wish Network and their wish coordinator were determined to get Makayla to Florida. After hours on the phone, Lora managed to convince the airlines to board the family on another flight. Finally, Makayla was on her way!

During Makayla's exciting adventure, she and her family visited the Animal Kingdom, Epcot, MGM Studios, Sea World and of course, the Magic Kingdom. Suzanne said that by far, the Magic Kingdom was Makayla's favorite part of the entire trip. "She loved it there! She really loved seeing the characters and meeting all of the princesses. They all kept telling her what a brave girl she was." Suzanne also said that Makayla was especially thrilled to meet Sleeping Beauty. "Makayla gave her a hug and told her that she was her favorite princess and it was her wish to meet her. I thought that Sleeping Beauty was going to cry!"

In addition to hobnobbing with her new friends and filling up her autograph book, Makayla also enjoyed other parts of the parks. Suzanne said that her daughter especially had a blast on the rides. "She really liked the Dumbo ride and the Peter Pan ride. She also rode one of the small roller coasters and really had fun on that!"

Makayla and her family returned home from her special trip with plenty of pictures and even more wonderful memories. "Everything was just great," said Suzanne. "It was such an awesome trip! Everyone we met treated Makayla so well and really went out of their way to do special things for her. We're really thankful for everything!"

Kids Wish Network would like to thank the following for helping to make Makayla's dream come true: Celebration Hotel, the Katy Lion's Club, Pirates Dinner Adventure Theater, Pizza Hut, Shoney's, The Titanic Exhibit, Water Mania, and Wonderworks.

Kids Wish Network is a nationally recognized non-profit organization dedicated to infusing hope, creating happy memories, and improving the quality of life for children. If you know a child between the ages of 3 and 18 who may be in need of its wish granting services, please call 813-891-9374 or toll free 888-918-9004. For more information on Kids Wish Network, visit their website at kidswishnetwork.org.