Thursday, July 2, 2009

Make a Wish

The excitement at Schultz house this morning.... This Limo showed up to take our neighbors(a family of 6!) on a dream vacation. Our next door neighbors that we share a driveway with are enjoying an all expense paid luxury dream trip to Disney World courtesy of Make a Wish. So excited for them!

They have a little girl, Torey, who is 3 days younger than Teagen. These days they are the best of friends. But a little while back, Torey started having some learning setbacks and upon investigation, it was discovered that she has a very large brain tumor. She is 4 years old. She spent months in the hospital. Her mother had to quit working to care for her. Her dad is off work for medical reasons. Her teenage brothers and sister all pitch in to keep things going. She is the princess of the house.

Its hard for Teagen to understand why we always have to be careful around Torey. She seems like any other 4 year old. But she needs to wear a helmet. She cant walk much. And in reality, she is quite fragile.

My kids adore her and entertain her through her window when she is unable to come out and play. Grady gives her hugs that scare me a bit that he's going to knock her down! But all three just think she's their best friend.

Wishing them a fabulous trip. And BIG thanks to programs like Make a Wish. What an incredible chance for families going through some of the toughest times I can imagine.

6 comments:

Jennifer Witham Buck / Graceful Expressions said...

oh, how awesome...
One of my best memories from when I worked at Disney was Thursday nights - that was the Disney VoluntEARS night at the Make A Wish/Give Kids the World Village at Disney. It was an amazing place, a medical facility/village that was a dream resort for families that were visiting Disney through Make A Wish. (due to the special needs of the families, it was easier to keep them all in one place vs. a hotel). And on Thursday nights, the parents were offered a night out and we cast memebers would come in and play and "babysit". I met so many awesome families and children, it was often hard to say goodbye at the end of the night. You certainly gain a new perspective on life.
Disney is a magical place for many families, but it does take on a special meaning when a family such as your neighbor's has endured so much. That is so sweet that your kids show the compassion and love towards others. It is also nice to see Make A Wish treating families locally! How awesome.. I will be keeping them in my thoughts! Keep me posted!!
Thanks for sharing this, today was a down day and the memories from my days of being involved with them came back and brought a smile...

Kristin said...

What a great thing. And what great kids you have...isn't it amazing that kids are so "you are my size, let's be friends". What a great mom to have taught them a VERY good important lesson about family and friends.

Hope they have a great time!!!

Lea said...

Oh how VERY cool!!!
A friend of mine also enjoyed a wonderful vacation with her boys. The older one had a rare form of Leukemia and passed away 2 years ago. Make A Wish certainly does WONDERFUL things for these families!!

Jodi said...

You {and your neighbors} warmed my heart for the day. I love Make A Wish and what they stand for and what they achieve for little ones and their families...I always do my little part to donate. I know they do good for sooo many, but isn't it wonderful {and to an extent, validating??} when MAW touches someone close?? Wow, awesome.

danemi1 said...

thats wonderful - restores your faith in people doesnt it - and bet she loves your children soooo much!

Shelly said...

how wonderful, hope they had a great time