On behalf of Carson, Joe and I want to thank the Make-A-Wish Foundation for granting his wish to Disney World. THANK YOU!!!! Carson had a great time riding the rides and meeting the characters. His days were busy and he did so much in that week. Give Kids the World Village is a pretty amazing and special place. Joe and I were so glad to have been able to visit there and meet the wonderful volunteers and other families there with us. It is wonderful that a place like GKTW exists for our children with exceptional needs. It is a place for them to just be kids. We enjoyed the trip just as much as Carson did!

Thank you for coordinating Carson's trip. Everything went smoothly and the Posey bed worked great. I am sending a few pictures to you of Carson.

Thanks for granting wishes like these!

Carson's Family

My entire family and I want to truly thank each of you and everyone involved with the Make a Wish Foundation.

My step daughter, Lauren had always dreamed of going to Disney. When we heard of this program, we thought we would refer Lauren. Lauren has a Genetic syndrome known as Smith-Magenis Syndrome.

We have just got back from Disney and I wanted to send a quick note to thank each of you and tell you of the fabulous experience we had. From the very beginning, things were very clear and well planned. If I had questions or concerns, there was someone to assist. The entire trip was great, especially the Give Kids the World Village. Not only were the accommodations alone great, the service and special attention was incredible. Knowing that the majority of the people involved at the village are volunteers, pushes the heart felt gratitude that we experienced. All the parks were very gracious and courteous of Lauren's condition.

Lauren's Family

We want to thank you so very much for the Bowflex for Brendan. He absolutely loves it and greatly appreciates being able to help keep his muscles strong. Thank you for all you do. It was a wonderful experience for Brendan.

Our deepest thanks,
Brendan's Family

There is always something you wished you had when you were younger. Something you always wanted but your parents wouldn't let you have it. Well forget all that because there's a place where everyone's dreams come true. The Make-a-Wish Foundation are the people who willingly help you receive what you want. You can't wish to be a millionaire, but there are several other things that you desire.

I was one of those kinds of people who always had to go to the Children's Hospital for check-ups, exams, MRIs and several other problems. On one appointment I had with my oncology doctor and social worker, I was told about Make-a-Wish Foundation. They gave me the details to everything and I was excited to receive this wish. A few weeks later, two volunteers, Trudy and Lisa came to my house to ask a few questions about myself and what would be the first wish I wanted. If they were unable to give me my first then they would give me my second.

I thought to myself, I was a lucky teenager. I got a very big birthday resent. It wasn't just any birthday; I'll be turning eighteen on September 20th. They timed it just right. All there is to say is thank you. Thank you volunteers for giving me a surprise and an incredibly delicious cake. Thank you to the staff at Make-a-Wish, for keeping my informed and for ordering my TV and additional supplies. Most importantly, a big thanks for the Make-a-Wish Foundation, no one would obtain a wish without them. Many, many thanks. Hopefully in the future, other children will be blessed like me to be granted a wish. Thanks again Make-a-Wish.

I appreciate what you have accomplished for children everywhere.

Victoria

Thank you for all you have done not just for me but for everyone else you have granted wishes for. You do wonders for families, make families happy. You have done wonders that I couldn't explain in words, you all are awesome. Thank you very much.

Dalton

You have made Dalton happy beyond words. Y'all have done so much for our boy. His smile says it all! Please, keep up the great work you do by making the wishes of children come true and making children happy! Thank you so much!

Dalton's parents

Thank you for sending Ryan and our family to Sesame Place. It was a really fun weekend and Ryan and his little brother really enjoyed meeting the characters. Breakfast with Elmo was so much fun not to mention his private meeting with the characters the next day. When Ryan was surrounded by all the characters he was so excited that he didn't know what to do!

Ryan's wish trip meant so much to us and we thank you for that. Please know that what you are doing is making a difference in so many lives each day. This experience was huge for our family and we will cherish the memories for many years to come.

Sincerely,
Ryan's Family

We can never thank you enough for helping to make Kate's wish come true! Kate went swimming with the dolphins and enjoyed all Atlantis had to offer. The trip meant more to our family than words could ever express! Our gratitude to the generous donor that made her wish possible

We can never thank you enough for helping to make Kate's wish come true! Attached are photos from Kate swimming with the dolphins in Atlantis. Other family photos of us all having fun are attached. We all had a great time. Kate wanted to do something to show her appreciation. She's written a thank you to the generous donor that made her wish possible.

Again to the staff at Make A Wish, thank you for being the great people that you are and for all of your help. The trip meant more to our family than words could ever express!

With much gratitude and best wishes to you,
Katie's Family

I cannot describe how thankful I am for all the work that was put into making my wish come true! As you know I wished to go on a trip to Greece with my Mom, Dad and older brother. Not only was this trip special because I had never been to Greece before, but it was even more special because my family and I did not have to arrange all the transportation, hotels, etc. That was very much appreciated :. The trip to Greece itself was amazing and full of good things! My favorite moments of our trip were seeing a traditional Greek dancing show in Athens, visiting the black and red beaches in Santorini and taking a tour of the island of Delos while in Mykonos. To those who were the middle men in giving my family and me all the information on my trip, I thank you very much, you were essential. As for all the sponsors and contributors I want you to realize that my wish could never have come true without all your donations of the components that were necessary for our trip. Your kind actions have not gone unnoticed.

It was amazing to see and experience the end result of the teamwork that took place for my wish by all of you. Your kind actions have not gone unnoticed.

It was amazing to see and experience the end result of the teamwork that took place for my wish by all of you. It was so admirable that I wish one day that I can do something for another person that can be as impactful as what you did for me. Thanks you again.

Jen and Family

We had a great time on Naeem's shopping spree. I was expecting game systems & TVs but Naeem was all clothes. We hit American Eagle, Abercrombie, Armani Exchange, Express Men & picked up so many jeans he'll never need to buy another pair ever. Then we hit Journey's for some boots, Foot Locker for some sneaks & I can't leave out Nordstrom for Prada. Naeem is a stylish guy! We spent every penny & had time to spare. The whole family was so sweet and we really had an enjoyable day.

Thank you for sending me, and my family on my wish to Walt Disney World. We had a blast, and our hotel, The Beach Club was amazing. My favorite parks were Universal Studios and Sea World.

The work that you do to make kids dreams come true is irreplaceable. I know that there is a ton of work that goes into every wish you grant, but you continue to grant more and more every day. Thanks you so much again.

Love,
Kendra

My family and I would like to take this time to thank you so much for making my wish come true. The trip to the Atlantis in the Bahamas was a trip of a lifetime, and my family and I had the best time ever!!! The most important gift of all was being able to go away with my whole family and enjoy the time together. My family is always so busy, but this trip enabled us to be together for one week and just love and cherish one another.

The trip began with a great flight to the Bahamas, and we were greeted by wonderful, kind people at the Bahamas airport who drove us over to Paradise Island and the Atlantis Hotel. Let me tell you, we all truly felt like we were in Paradise! The Harbor Club at the Atlantis was a great place for all of us to stay. We had two large bedrooms, two bathrooms, two kitchens and two living rooms we were absolutely royalty!!!

We were all very sad to go home, but we will always remember this trip - forever and ever!! My parents want to take me back because they never have seen my so happy. I hope that we can go back next summer.

We thank you all from the bottom of our hearts - you made my wish come true - you will always be in my prayers, and I can never say enough to thank you for making me the happiest person in the world!!!

Love,
Antonio

Thank you for providing Cody with his ultimate wish of a new swimming pool. He is enjoying it very much. Now does he not only have something that he can enjoy at home, but it provides us with a way to continue to give Cody therapy to build his muscle tone and strength. We would like to say thank you to the staff at Make-A-Wish who helped us along through our whole process.

Our experience with Make-A-Wish was great, from the volunteers who came to our house, to the wonderful women who answer the phones at the office, to the pool company that you hired to install Cody's pool and the carpenter you hired to finish our deck. I don't think we could say thank you enough for the wish that you granted our son. It has already created some great family moments with many more to come. Knowing that Cody has his own little oasis out back of our home is wonderful. Usually for us to provide Cody with fun activities we would have to travel to other locations. This takes a huge amount of stress off of our backs knowing we can entertain Cody right here at our own home.

Cody's wish will never be forgotten. Every time we step into the pool we realize that it was the sincere hearts of everybody at the Make-A-Wish Foundation that made Cody's wish come true.

Thank you,
Cody's Family

Sharing the POWER OF A WISH……………………

We wanted to take this opportunity to THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts for making Trey's wish come true.

We just recently celebrated our one year mark since Trey was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, July 9, 2008. It has been a week of reflection thinking about the horrifying experience we had that day, as well as much of this year! We spent several months with Trey enduring heavy rounds of chemotherapy, surgery, physical therapy and recovery.

After things settled down, we thought we felt a bit of normalcy again. Although our normal will never be what it used to be. Trey will continue to fight and receive treatment till October of 2011. He is doing fantastic, back in pre-school and summer camp with his 3 yr. old brother Luke! We are so thankful everyday for what we have been given. Our worry and fear as parents will never go away. We continue to try to live each and every day to its fullest and appreciate things we did once take for granted!

Our wish was to go to Disney World and stay at the amazing GIVE KIDS THE WORLD village. We went on May 4, 2009 and it was a week we will never forget. We left our worries, our work, our clinic and our fear at home for the week. We enjoyed everything from the parks to the villa at GKTW, to the staff, the Make A Wish coordinators, etc. the list could go on and on!

The best part of the trip was the joy, excitement, smiles and energy that Trey and his brother showed! It lasted from the time we were picked up through entire trip, to our ride home. My husband and I laughed and said to each other, "Look at Trey, we never seen him run so fast in his whole life!"

We, as parents, experienced this as well and are amazed at what your organization has done for us and so many families! We don't know how to thank you, except truly express how much we do. We thank the staff, the volunteers, GKTW and most importantly the folks and donors who provide the donations and $$$$ that makes this possible.

Without them it would not have been possible. It is amazing to know so many good and generous people surround us and support your organization. We thank them so very much. We can't express our appreciation for allowing us to go away from Drs., meds and feel like a special family, yet feel so normal and comfortable! Our hats off to ALL involved. It was the best vacation for our family! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!

With love and much appreciation,
Trey's Family

Just writing you a note to let you know that we came back last night. We are all exhausted, but we had the time of our lives!!! Thank you for setting everything up for us. Danielle wasn't totally better when we got there, but she didn't let it hold her back. We were all upset when our vacation ended. It was an incredible experience for everyone and we feel really lucky that we were able to have this wonderful and memorable vacation. We all needed it really bad.

We've sent you photos to show you all the places we visited in Greece. Thank you so much for everything!!!

Danielle's Family

Our wish was granted in July at the "Give Kids the World" Village and it was Awesome!! Visiting Disney World was a dream that came true for Jake and our families. We would like to say...We enjoyed every minute of our wish!

Thank you so much!
Jake's Family

Our son Ryan wanted nothing more than to see Buzz Lightyear. Thanks to you he got to do that and so much more. Give kids the world was amazing. They made our three other children feel as special as Ryan. This was an experience we could never have done on our own. What wonderful memories that his brother and sister will cherish! We have a rough road ahead and this gave us a great worry-free week.

Our most sincere thanks!

Ryan's Family

Thank you soooo much for our unforgettable vacation! We would have never been able to take them there. We had such a blast!

Your foundation is such a wonderful organization. Thank you again soooooo much.

Fondly,
Liliana's family

Thank you so much for all you did to organize such a perfect experience for Arianna and our entire family. The entire experience was beyond our wildest expectations. Life has been extremely demanding these last four years, and we often feel alone in dealing with day to day fears and stresses. Make A Wish has opened our eyes in that we are far from being alone. We had no idea that so many people were giving so much of their time, energy and financial support to help families with children afflicted with illnesses. While at Give Kids the World we read Henry Landwirth's book Gift of Life; what an amazing story and organization! The end of the book lists over 100 sponsors and we intend to send each one a Thank You. We wanted to first personally thank you because you represent a special part of the experience and we were truly honored to have received such a great gift. We want to thank any sponsors of Make A Wish who were directly responsible for all the generosity bestowed to us.

With Sincere Gratitude,
Arrianna's Family

We had the time of our life!!! Everything was just amazing!!!

Thank you so much for fulfilling our dream. It was an incredible vacation, with time to be together, and a big smile on our face which is something we haven't had for a long time...

Thank you again for these unbelievable, magical days,
Gideon's Family

We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Make-A-Wish Foundation for granting Darnell his wish to meet and visit with Nas. Words cannot express the joy and excitement of the experience for Darnell. The time Darnell spent talking, having lunch and playing games with Nas will not be forgotten. This was truly one of the happiest enjoyable days of Darnell's life and the memories will be cherished forever.

Darnell has not stopped talking about his visit since his return. He has shared his pictures and the experiences with his family, church family and classmates at the Middle School. Words cannot express the joy and enthusiasm he exemplifies while discussing his trip. The experience has become a daily subject matter in our home, he will never forget the memories of the visit and checks out Nas' web page on a daily basis.

Our thanks and gratitude goes out to the limo drivers, the airline staff and pilot, van rental representatives, hotel staff, Universal Studios staff, and most of all the Make-A-Wish Foundation for making this all possible. You can never imagine how happy you all have made Darnell throughout this endeavor. Our family will forever be grateful to all of you for having provided Darnell this opportunity of a life time. Again, we thank you for all that you have done to make this wish come true.

Darnell's Family

Thank you for making Kyle's dream come true. You gave us all memories that will last a lifetime! We had a wonderful time in Orlando.

Many, Many Thanks!
Kyle's Family

We just don't know how to thank you so much for such a wonderful wish come true. You are wonderful for making this unforgettable trip possible.

We had such a wonderful time in Hawaii and we wish we could share the experience with the individuals who made it happen. This was the trip of a lifetime that we will never forget. We are willing do help other families that are going through the same ordeal like us to experience their wish come true.

It is a miracle what a wonderful wish can do to a person. While we were in Hawaii, I don't remember our daughter complaining of any pain. She did everything ..boating, fishing, surfing, fishing and sightseeing…most of all she outperformed her parents. She was also eating as if she belonged to the Royal Family, lobster and dishes made especially for her everyday.

We thank you very much from the bottom of our hearts. We are also willing to participate in any volunteer program you may sponsor.

Mya's Family

At four years old, Kara was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a malignancy that requires aggressive treatment. Kara's wish was to go to Disney and it was amazing. The family especially enjoyed Give Kids The World Village. Characters from Nickelodeon and Disney came out to Give Kids The World Village and the kids enjoyed meeting Spongebob, Squidward, Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Pluto. Kara and her brother have full autograph books.

On the first day, we went right to Disney Animal Kingdom safari, it was very cool and we are glad we went. We had a few other things that we planned to do and see, but Kara had a bit of sensory overload/fatigue and wanted to leave after our first activity. After a trip to the gift shop (never too tired for that), we made our way back home to the Village and took a nice family nap. We had a special plan for the evening and wanted the kids to be rested to enjoy it.

Kara just loves animals so we went to Seaworld. When we saw the dolphin show, Kara and I sat up above while her brother and Dad sat in the "Soak Zone" for the Shamu show. The whale delivered... and got our boys quite wet.

Kara's gift shop purchase-of-the-day was a stuffed animal monkey from Animal Kingdom who she named George. He's got velcro on his hands and feet so he can hang on/around you and he did just that with Kara the whole day... from the park, during her nap and through the luau with his own lei. She is a sweet kid and loves having something to care for.

We really enjoyed the trip. Thank You.

We are the parents of Philip, who was the recipient of a magical birthday party thanks to the generous donation that made his dream come true. In October of 2007, Philip celebrated his third birthday with his brother, sister and friends. A few days later, he developed a virus. Two weeks later his symptoms intensified and we ended up bringing him to the ER of St. Christopher's hospital.

Tests revealed that Philip has neuroblastoma. The treatment is long and risky. He's endured chemo, resection surgery and stem cell transplants, then needed to be isolated for months. During this time, whenever he was tired out or upset he would ask when he was going to his party. It was a good memory of a normal life. That was his wish!

In October of 2008, 1 year after his 3rd birthday and 11 months after diagnosis, he rode a limo to an absolutely wonderful 4th birthday party and Philip is currently in remission!

We are very grateful to Make A Wish for touching his life.

Sincerely,
Philip's Parents

I would like to thank you all for granting Dashyne's wish. Dashyne and the rest of the family had a great time!

We are grateful for the vacation time. Dashyne has never been away before due to his special needs and it is hard finding places to go that accommodate his needs. Words can not express how it felt to see my son smile, laugh, and actually get on rides. Your organization helps make dreams realities. We are forever grateful!

Love,
Dashyne's family

Coralys wish of going to Disney is one of the best things that has happened to us. We had a great time taking our daughter Coralys, and our two other sons. She was very excited, Coralys loves to be outside. She enjoyed the limousine that came to pick us up. When we arrived (Give the Kids the World,) it was like magic, we wanted to stay there forever; the people were so nice, they made us feel like "Kings and Queens." Coralys and all of us had a blast in the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Universal and Sea World. It was Awesome! Our whole family and especially Coralys want to say: THANK YOU SO MUCH!

We'll never forget what you did for us, and the happiness that our daughter Coralys, felt when she was on her wish.

Thank you again, for making our dream come true!
Coralys Family

Let me say thank you so much for making Christian's wish to go to Jamaica come true and for the Dorney Park tickets. It's important that Make-A-Wish keep doing what they are doing for children. Christian enjoyed going to the Japanese restaurant on our wish and made a drawing of it for you.

Again, thank you.

Sincerely,
Christian's Family

Thanks so very much for making Parker's wish come true! He has been so excited & tells everyone about his new playset. His little brother says it's the "best playground he's ever seen"! They play on it every day.

We expect Parker to have a bone marrow transplant in the near future, and his brother Connor to be the donor. He'll be home while recuperating, the playset will be a wonderful thing for him to have at home...

I wanted to send you some photos, but also to express our deep appreciation for your kindness and for making our boys so happy! Everyone at Make-a-Wish, from the staff to the volunteers, was just wonderful!

Thanks again,
Parker's parents

Our family cannot thank you enough for the recent trip to Walt Disney World. Our three year old son, Preston, is a Make-A-Wish child. When we initially met with a Make-A-Wish volunteer this summer, Preston was too little to verbalize his wish. However, he loves Disney movies such as "The Lion King," "Monsters, Inc.," and "Toy Story" just to name a few. So my husband and I thought a trip to Disney World would be a dream come true for him to see these characters in real life.

We were right! His face LIT up when he saw Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Buzz Lightyear, etc. From the moment the limo pulled into our driveway to take us to the airport, we had a BLAST! The service and care we received the entire trip was incredible.

GKTW Village is an amazing place!! We were humbled that so many angels volunteer their time to make that place a success! We also have an older son, Ethan, who is 4 years old. He and Preston wanted to stay at GKTW Village all day and go from one activity to another! The CandyLand Playground is incredible – our kids referred to it as, "The Lollipop Playground." Our eyes were wide with wonder all week as we discovered new and exciting things at GKTW Village and also at the Disney Parks.

Forever Grateful,
Tom, Emily, Ethan and Preston

After Amber's diagnosis of Liposarcoma in April our world went into a tailspin. Her father Jay was already enduring treatments for cancer that left him unable to work. How could our family manage the care and treatment regimens for two? Then in June Amber's father had a relapse and the cancer was found in his brain. In addition, in February our house was broken into and every room in the house was vandalized. Our life savings was wiped away to pay for treatment cost and to replace the vandalized items in our house that were not covered by insurance. There was no possible way we as a family would be able to fulfill Amber's dream. THANK YOU for making her dream possible.

We as a family had the trip of a lifetime. To be able to watch Amber swim and interact with the dolphins was priceless. The picture of her kissing Yoko the dolphin will forever be embedded in our hearts and minds.

No matter what the future holds for our family we will always have the memories of the best trip ever, made possible by Make-A-Wish.

With love,
Amber, Angie, Jay, Alecia


Dear Make-A-Wish,

Thank you SO much for sending me and my family to Florida!! I had a wonderful time! Discovery Cove was probably the most fun. I loved being able to swim with dolphins, sting rays, and hundreds of tropical fish. Sea World was a blast! I loved the show and being able to feed the dolphins and sting rays. I learned a lot of interesting things. Animal Kingdom was amazing! I got to see my favorite animal, a hippo. I liked the Nemo Musical and the roller coaster, Expedition Everest. Thanks so much for send me on this fabulous trip!

Sincerely,
Amber

About a year ago when I was very sick, I was way down in the dumps, and thought that things would not get any better. My spirits were low.

One day while my dad was at work, he gave me a call. He mentioned something about this AMAZING foundation called Make-A-Wish. At first, I did not believe what I was hearing. I slowly took it in more and more. He told me you can make one wish and it could be anything you want. As we were talking, we came up with an amazing too-good-to-be wish; to meet Lance Armstrong, and hang out with him for a day. That never worked out, so we thought about going to Hawaii on a cruise ship, but they were booked. Finally, my cousin was talking to me about how she had visited Italy recently, and thought that it was spectacular! She couldn't be more right! I decided that that was where I wanted to go. And so it was. I met two very nice volunteers during my planning of the big trip, from the Make-A-Wish Foundation; Gretchen and Suzanne. By the way, I must say they were great! We got together, and slowly mapped the trip out to Italy. I thought it was so cool that in a few months I'd be leaving for Italy!

We had a great time, and took many pictures. And this was all possible with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. And from the bottom of our hearts, we give you a warm, sincere, Thank You!

Luke and his family

I am in Myrtle Beach South Carolina. This is my wish vacation made possible by the Make A Wish Foundation and the MOM's Club of Philadelphia. As you can see from the attached photos, I am having a BLAST!!!! I told Nana and Poppy I do not want to go home, I want to stay at the BEACH!!! Today, I went to the Aquarium and really enjoyed it. Then I got to go on the beach again, then into the pool.

WHAT A DREAM COME TRUE. THANK YOU TO ALL WHO MADE THIS POSSIBLE FOR ME!!!!

Love to all,
Andrew and family

Thank you so much for granting Bryan's wish to Disney World!! Give Kids the World was wonderful. We went to Disney World for three days and then Cocoa Beach for a day. The last day we went to Sea World. It was definitely a well needed vacation that we would have never been able to do it without you!! I have enclosed some pictures of the trip. Words cannot express our thankfulness to you!!

Love,
Bryan's Family

I would like to thank you very much for sending me to New York City in March for my wish. I am just now writing you. After we got back, I started back to school for the first time this school year and had lots and lots of catching up to do so I would be able to graduate with my classmates.

Mom and I had a great time! It was awesome having a limousine pick us up at the house and be with us all day. Just a phone call and there it was!! Our driver was very nice and it was fun to have him drive us.

The Make-A-Wish representative from New York was also fun to be with. She was familiar with the city and made it a good experience.

Shopping was exciting. Since I lost so much weight, I pretty much purchased a whole new wardrobe. The one thing I definitely wanted was a Louis Vuitton purse. It was the first thing I purchased! And at the end of the day...I even got a matching wallet!

Thank you again for a very memorable day in New York, I will always cherish it.

Allison

In February 2007, our world was turned upside down when our son was diagnosed with Leukemia (ALL). During this time, our entire family has been under a lot of stress, including our three other children; Katelyn, Mark and Matthew. Even though they were not directly infected with Leukemia, they suffered as well. After several complications which were extremely painful for a 5 year old, John is now in the maintenance phase of his treatment. He is doing well at this time.

Several years prior to John being diagnosed, we would spend every Mother's Day watching the Make-A-Wish truck convoy in Lancaster County, close to our hometown. We were permitted to ride in the convoy for the first time in 2007. We had a great morning and joyous afternoon riding in the truck. It was an awesome day! When we learned that Make-A-Wish was available to our family we were excited.

We want to thank all the people who sponsor Make-A-Wish to help make dreams come true for children such as ours in a time of difficulty. Without this funding there would be so many children whose wishes could not be granted. We want to thank those on the Board of Make-A-Wish for all your hard work and dedication to such a great cause. And to the volunteers who, without you and your willingness to give of your time and kindness, wishes would not happen.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

May God Bless you all for everything you do.

Sincerely,
John's Family

Words cannot express how grateful we are for Ryan's wish!

We all had an unbelievable time and made tons of wonderful memories. It was great to be a family just having fun without worry.

We will never forget what you have done for us. Thank you so very much.

Sincerely,
Kirk, Holly & Ryan

My name is Iysis. My parents have attended the local Mothers Day truck convoy to support the Make-A-Wish cause for over 10 years! Never did they realize that one day their own child would be diagnosed with cancer and experience a wish of her own!

My wish was to go on a Disney Cruise. It was an awesome moment to see the limousine pull up to our door. The driver asked me if I was ready for my very special trip! That's when I knew it was not a dream. A few weeks before our travel plans were to take place we encountered some family illness. AT the time we were wondering if we would have to cancel but then everyone felt better and Mom started to pack our bags. I took along the stuffed bear MAW gave me along with all the information about our trip. Cubby, the name I gave him, helped me relax on the airplane since it was my first time flying.

How exciting to get on such a big ship! I was thrilled to see a poster on my door wishing me ‘A Magical Make-A-Wish Cruise.' My Disney Cruise was everything I dreamed about and so much more. The chance to meet Mickey, Minnie, Chip & Dale, Goofy and all the princesses was absolutely the best time I've had in a very long time. I was diagnosed with Lymphoma, November 2006, and had spent most of my time either in the hospital or home.

The white sand beaches and aqua blue water was fantastic, I had never seen the ocean so beautiful. I even tried snorkeling! My favorite thing to do on the island was lay on a raft, it felt like I was on the top of the world! It was a great vacation!

My "thank you" seems so small compared to all you've done for me, but it comes from my heart. I will never forget the kind gesture that you have given me. It will last a lifetime!

With Love, From One Magical Girl,
Iysis

Thank you for giving our son the opportunity to enjoy a week full of fun. I think his favorite thing was the carousel at the village after long days at the parks he always wanted to come back to the ride.

Thank you again,
Nicolas' Family

Thank you for the roll top desk. It is very nice and I use it every day. God Bless you as you continue to grant wishes for sick children.

Currently, I am in remission and feeling great.

Thanks Again,
Leon and Leon's parents

We would love to say thank you to all the people that made our son Dakota's wish come true. The trip to Disney World was absolutely wonderful. It was an experience that all of us will be talking about for many many years to come.

We arrived home last Friday the 28th of March and our son already wants to go back. He will talk to you for hours about everything and everyone he saw. The Give Kids the World is absolutely fabulous. The only sad part is we can go back to Florida but we can never stay at the village. (We can visit as many times as we want but can't stay there). You wouldn't have to go to the parks you could have a blast just being there.

We couldn't even begin to tell all of you how much we needed that and how much we appreciate everything. We plan to try and save money to go back to Florida when Dakota is done with his treatment in August of 2010. He wants to go back to see his star on the ceiling of the Castle of Miracles. We had a wonderful, wonderful time. THANK YOU FROM ALL OF US FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS!!!!!!!!!!! Universal Studios & Sea World gave us a lot of really nice pictures of Dakota. He feed the dolphins at Sea World. We also visited Gatorland. We went on a really neat ride at Epcot (Ellen Degenerous) that had really cool dinosaurs. That was right down Dakota's lane. He loves dinosaurs. We also saw a lot of neat dinosaurs at Animal Kingdom & Universal Studios. We were in the parade at Magic Kingdom. The weather was absolutely gorgeous. (70-80). It didn't rain the whole time we were down there. Dakota's grandparents drove down from Pa. to spend a little time (Wed. & Thurs.) with him down there. THIS TRIP WAS AN OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME FOR ALL OF US. We didn't realize how crazy and stressful our lives were. We are all so relaxed now. I could keep writing this letter and just go on and on but I have a feeling that I will eventually lose your attention. So I will close for now but thanks again for making our precious little guy's dream come true. Each and everyone of you that sponsor Make-A-Wish are absolutely wonderful.

Thank you,
Dave, Carol and Dakota

I had the greatest time I have ever had in my life. The trip was, from start to finish, the greatest experience I have ever had. The planning was perfect, the activities were perfect, and the game was awesome. I especially liked meeting the players. That was an experience that most people will never get. I loved talking to them and getting my footballs signed, and some even took pictures with me. The island was great. The beaches were nice, the weather was warm, and the island people were very kind. I have so many great memories now. I will undoubtedly remember this trip for the rest of my life. I would like to thank everyone who made this trip possible. Thank you, Make-A-Wish for planning my trip. Thank you, board members for approving my wish. And most of all, thank you to all the sponsors who paid for this trip. Without you, my trip, and many others, would not be possible. Thank you again for your kindness and generosity. You are truly the kindest people I have ever been associated with.

Sincerely,
Emory

On behalf of my entire family, I want to extend my thanks and appreciation to The Make A Wish Foundation which gave way to happiness in the lives of my sons (Terry and Mowoe).

Terry went on a shopping trip granted by Make A Wish, he now has things to help take his attention way from some level of his contagious pain episodes, as he struggles with sickle cell.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation also gave a trip to Disney World as a wish for Mowoe, fighting leukemia and living with Down's Syndrome. Living with two severely ill children has been difficult for us, but knowing we have the support of people like the Make A Wish Foundation, certainly helps. The Make A Wish Foundation gave my family a chance to spend a vacation in Disney World, escaping the day-to-day struggles of living with life-threatening illnesses. The Make A Wish Foundation has reached out with helping hands and wants to see smiles on the faces of children living with illnesses. The Make A Wish Foundation truly knows that when one member of a family has an illness, the entire family as a unit is affected, therefore my entire family had the opportunity to see some excitements and travel together. Please know that my family will not forget your kind gesture. Everyone in this universe has some kinds and I hope each contributor needs be met. I am sure no word is enough to thank your foundation but God's Blessings shall continue to prevail upon each contributor.

Dear Make-A-Wish Foundation,

Words cannot even come close to describing how amazing my trip to New York City to play in the pit orchestra for the Lion King on Broadway was. From beginning to end it was just one incredible opportunity after another. Without all the amazing people at Make-A-Wish my family and I never would have been able to have an experience even remotely similar to this one!

I had been to New York City several other times but had never had the chance to do all of the wonderful things Make-A-Wish had planned for us. I really enjoyed the bus tours of the city, learning the history of all the beautiful buildings was truly fascinating. It was also really neat to learn how many celebrities lived there and where they all live. Going up in the Empire State Building was also amazing. While my family and I were up in the tower we were fortunate enough to watch a snowstorm blow in from over the river. It was awe-inspiring to watch the storm from such a high altitude. And of course I also enjoyed (like so many other girls my age) the shopping!

To all of the sponsors, board members and volunteers and everyone involved; Thank you just doesn't seem like enough.

Our family had a blast at Disney World. It was so nice not have to worry about doctor appointments, treatment appointments, and medicine. It was a welcomed vacation. Being able to see our daughter have fun with the people as well as the characters was a blessing. Laughter rather than tears was the best thing for us to see our daughter experience. This wish was something we could have never afforded at this time and the greatest gift anyone has ever given us. As I write this letter, tears are welling up in my eyes remembering her reaction when she found out she was going to Disney World. She was so excited!!!

While we were on the wish we actually met another family with a little girl that had the same condition. If it was not for Make-A-Wish we would not have met this little girl, it is really nice to meet another family going through the same thing we are. I visit their website every day to see how she is doing, things are looking better for their family. Things are getting better for us too.

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
Anthony, Jen and Madison

Our family recently returned from our Disney Cruise on the Disney Magic, and all we can say is that this family vacation was truly magic. Words can't describe the happiness David expressed on the trip and how happy that made us feel. David's wish was always to go on a cruise, but what he got on this trip was more than he ever could have expected or imagined, as it was the same for all of us. We can honestly say that the 7 days we spent out at sea were some of the best days we've ever had together as a family.

As soon as the bus that transported us from the Orlando Airport to Port Canaveral pulled up to the Disney Magic, you could instantly tell David's excitement through his expressions. And after that, we were warmly greeted by the ship's crew and even everyone's kindness and hospitality came to us as a welcome surprise.

I wanted to thank Make-A-Wish Foundation for providing a wonderful trip for my niece, Ashley. Ashley, and her cousins, Matthew and Michael had an awesome time together. It was great for my sister and me, along with my husband Paul, to spend some good quality time together and bring in the New Year.

Please let me know if there is anything that I can do for Make-A-Wish. Our trip was wonderful!!!

Wishing you Peace in the New Year,
Ashley's Family

I am writing to you on behalf of our family and especially our three year old daughter Maya. A few weeks ago Make-A-Wish Foundation sent us on an incredible trip to Disney World. Maya, like all of the kids you grant wishes to, has been through a terrible ordeal. To us, the trip you sent us on as a family was a celebration of Maya's life. How can I begin to describe for you the joy in her face?

Early in our trip we saw Cinderella. Maya, one of the more talkative children that you could ever meet, was stunned into silence. Her face that moment brought us as parents, the greatest possible joy.

It was a week filled with those magical moments. From Give Kids the World village, where we were treated to carousel rides, candy, ice cream, character meetings, carnivals, presents, cookies and on and on, to Disney where we went on every ride and attraction and saw every show imaginable. Universal and Sea World were also incredible destinations. Every destination was filled with wonderful surprises.

We can't thank you enough for giving our daughter and our family a way to see the world through rose colored glasses. While her struggle with cancer was a nightmare we have learned that the world is filled with incredibly kind people and organizations that care. Make-A-Wish has succeeded in fulfilling a dream of a little girl and in bringing a breath of fresh air and life to a family.

Please convey our deepest appreciation to the staff, volunteers and donors of Make-A-Wish Foundation and please let them know what they do makes an incredible impact on the lives of the children and their families!

Sincerely,
Maya's family

I can't begin to thank each one of you for all your help this past weekend and your tireless and positive ATTITUDE in helping Make-A-Wish come true for Kyle and his family. I am humbled and blessed to be working with such a GREAT group of friends. You have truly touched this young man's life and mine with your giving spirit and the generosity of your time and talent. Thanks for letting me be apart of YOUR team!

GO, GATORS! BEAT FSU!
Kyle's family

Wow! What a fantastic trip and a wonderful gift for our family!

There was no detail that wasn't planned perfectly, the people were all so helpful and 'Give Kids the World Village' is out of this world! I knew the children would have a good time but I never realized how much it would do for Will and me too. A 'thank you' can not express how grateful we are. What a difference you made in all our lives.

God bless you all.
Mary's Family

We would like to take this time to thank Make-A-Wish Foundation and their staff and the sponsors, who provide the funding to make wishes possible. Malique and his family really enjoyed the wonderful trip to Disneyworld.

The stay at the Give Kids the World was great and the best place for kids to stay with special needs. All the staff was so kind.

We'd like to say thank you, thank you, thank you, for giving us this time to have Malique's wish come true.

Malique's family

Our family cannot thank your organization enough for the wonderful trip you sponsored. Valerie's wish was to go to somewhere tropical and Atlantis, Paradise Island in the Bahamas was perfect.

We really enjoyed the many lagoons and beaches. We attended an exhibit called, The Dig, that replicates the sunken city of Atlantis and had tons of fun going to the water park, Aquaventure.

It was a pleasure to ride the limo to and from the airport especially since this was Valerie's first time in a limo. We enjoyed everything! This was truly a once in a lifetime experience for our family. We will never forget this trip. Valerie smiled so much!

Again, thank you so much for making her wish come true! We tell everyone about your worthwhile organization.

Sincerely,
Valerie's Family

We are sending a special thanks to ALL of the people who made this possible for us. I can never fully put into words what that week meant to us and how truly magical it was. For one week my little girl got to be just that, a little girl. She got to see the princesses and even meet one. She got to be a kid! For that I THANK YOU with all of my heart.

Thanks to all of the sponsors and their donations. Thanks also to the volunteers. This organization is wonderful and so are the people! I speak very highly to everyone I meet and pray that the wonderful things that go on with the help of such a place and people never stop. Truly and sincerely we send our prayers and thanks.

Taylor's Family

Luke's wish was that he could have authentic looking costumes of Anakin Skywalker for himself and Obi Wan Kenobi for his brother. Make-A-Wish came through with that wish and added on a trip to MGM Studios at Disney for a Star Wars Weekend.

We flew down had a couple of days to explore the various parks and then we went to MGM for the wish. It was great! We had our own guide to take us around to meet all the Star Wars characters, the kids marched in the parade dressed as Jedis and they even had a light saber battle with Darth Vader. The costumes are magnificent and our trip to Florida was beyond anything we could have imagined.

Thanks,
Luke's father

Please accept our gratitude for the experience Katie and the rest of her family enjoyed. We were all thrilled with everything; a once-in-a-lifetime limo ride, Katie's first airplane ride that she was invited to sit in the cockpit and talk with the pilots, the wonderful people who planned this, and all the volunteers and donations that made my little girl so happy! Thank you so much!

Katie loved the parks in Orlando and swimming every night at the pool. Since Katie's diagnosis of ALL, her life changed and needles, chemo and spinal taps replaced second grade. This gift of a trip to Orlando was just what we all needed. It gave us a new perspective and fresh energy to fight Katie's leukemia. Everyone who made this possible deserves all of our thanks and gratitude. God's blessings to all of you.

Katie's Family

I just wanted to thank the Make-A-Wish Foundation and all it's supporters for the wish my daughter Chelsea was granted.

Chelsea is 15 years old and a competitive swimmer. She was diagnosed in August 2006 with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and had to stop swimming for almost a year. She just got back in the water the May and will start competing again. She is really enjoying the hot tub. As soon as she gets home from practice, she gets in to relax.

Thanks again for all you do. This has really brought a smile to Chelsea and her family. We really appreciate all the hard work you had to do to make this happen.

Sincerely,
Chelsea's mother

My daughter Crystal was diagnosed with left hummers osteogenic sarcoma on July 13, 2006. She had amputation of her left arm in September 2006. She was going through so much. We couldn't have handled what she was going through with as much courage and strength as she did. I believe that the only thing that she really wished after so much was to be able to be with all her family for once. Something that she/we couldn't do when she was in the hospital.

When she found out about Make-A-Wish Foundation, her only hope was to finish her chemotherapy and be able to go to Florida. Her last treatment was on March 2007 and she knew that her wish would come true.

From the moment that the limousine got to our house she knew that her wish had come true. She enjoyed her trip so much; she loved the Kids Village, and she loved the attention that she was receiving from everybody. You make her feel extra special and now she knows that there are a lot of people out there that think of her and wishes her the best.

My family and I are so grateful for what you did. Our hearts are full of thanks and love and appreciation for every single one of you.

Thanks to all of the donors that make possible the smile of a special child.

Crystal's mom

I don't know if words can every express how much our trip to Chicago meant to us. We had a blast! Everyone was so friendly and treated us so great! I could never say thank you enough! Everyday was jammed packed with fun things for ALL of us to do - there was never a dull moment!

It was the first SPECIAL DAY with Justin AND what a bonus she got to meet all of Nsync!!! They were so wonderful with her and so nice to all of us! What a great bunch of guys. We had the best seats in the house for the all-star celebrity basketball game! That was so much fun! Genny has always been a HUGE Nsync fan - I never saw her happier then that day - she told us that night before she went to bed it was the first time in her life she wasn't sad that she was in a wheelchair-because she got to meet Nsync - and she got to go past all those other people who had to wait in line just to watch them! That was my favorite part!!! It was a day we will cherish forever! Thank you to everyone who took time out of their day to make ours!!!

With Love, Genny's Family
Susquehanna Valley Wish Child

Thank you so much for this trip to Disney World. We all had a wonderful time. We met some nice people at Give Kids the World. Sarah made friends and saw kids just like her. That meant a lot. We had the best time ever and can not thank you enough. Sarah got her wish and more. We greatly appreciate it!

Love,
Sarah's family

We had a WONDERFUL time on the Disney Cruise!!! Tristan absolutely LOVED it!!! I think that he was walking on cloud 9 the entire time.

Words cannot express how we feel. We are overwhelmed with gratitude. There were so many beautiful moments that we had on the cruise that will last a lifetime. It was very special and all of you and Disney Cruise Line made this such a wonderful and extra special experience for Tristan and our family. Thank you to you Yael, Marc and Velda for all that you do. You are angels!!! We would also like to thank all the people at Make a Wish and Disney Cruise line that help to make this happen. It was a truly remarkable experience.!!!

Thank you again soooooooooooooooooo much!

Love,
Sandy, Chris, Mariah, Rachel and of course, TRISTAN

Josiah learned how to rope a dummy calf! Josiah was so anxious for his trip to North Dakota to ride horses and be a cowboy. We made a chain link out paper with a little horse attached. Everyday once we got to June, we would take a link off. We cannot say thanks enough for giving Josiah his wish. He never stopped smiling. Thank you so much.

It was beautiful in North Dakota and real cowboy land. Everyone was so nice and helpful. Everything went so smooth and was organized wonderfully. Our family was so blessed by your Foundation, Josiah has been through so much and still goes through a lot, it was very special and much appreciated; to have such wonderful and terrific memories, during a rough time in his life. Thanks again for all you do and making our trip so special. We have friends and memories that will last forever.

With all our love, Josiah's Family
Susquehanna Valley Wish Child

Michael Jordan is a very humble person. He talked about motivation with Sammy. I would like to send an essay written by Sammy in school about his experience through life and about his illness He got A for the essay!!

Many thanks,
Sammy's father

Thank you so much for our Disney Wish come true. Shawna really enjoyed her Make-A-Wish trip to Give Kids the World. The staff and volunteers could not have been any more friendly nor helpful. It was a dream vacation and our whole family enjoyed it. We loved the trips to the theme parks, but the loving, quiet atmosphere of Give Kids the World really added to the enjoyment. Shawna enjoyed being treated like a princess. We took advantage of Give Kids the World Village fun mornings and evening activities and managed to go the Disney / Universal parks during the day. I can't thank you enough for giving our family a fun, relaxing, environment to enjoy together without the stress of our daily lives. Shawna also caught her first fish at Give Kids the World. I am attaching some of my many photos for your review.

The memories that we will all have from this trip are priceless and we will cherish forever. Thanks again for making magic for our special little girl.

Thanks especially to our coordinator.

We appreciate all the work done – airline tickets, rental car, GKTW stay, Disney tickets, and the gifts that were sent with the volunteers. This would not have been possible without all of you at the Make-A-Wish Foundation! You really do make wishes come true!

Thank you, again, to everyone involved!

Sincerely,
Shawna and Family!

The gratitude that we have for the Make a Wish Foundation can really not be expressed in words. We feel that Thank you is just not enough. Khmaia was treated as the Princess that we know her to be, but others never have the chance to learn of her. This was a dream come true for her. I CAN NOT BELIEVE that we were able to take our daughter to Disney and you made it possible for her. She saw and took all the pictures with her favorite characters, she yelled and shouted on her first roller coaster, made friends, ate all the ice cream she wanted, rode all the rides she wanted to, swam, ate and ate.... DID i mention she ate! (just kidding) . It was just too wonderful.

Before I bore you with so much writing, I am going to end it here and say " THANK YOU, THANK YOU Make A Wish and yes THANK YOU LORD for these awesome people.My plan is to give back to the organization, I would love to assist and volunteer in any way that I can. My husband and I hope that someday we will be able to sponsor a family, the same way another has made it possible for us.

God bless you!
Kahmaia and family

The party was such a success!!! All the kids had a great time. The characters were so good to her. If you could have seen her face when Elmo came....it made me cry.

This was so nice and thoughtful. Not only did Erica enjoy the day but all the disabled children there did too. Their families told me how special they felt to be there and how the kids are still talking about it. Three of the girls rarely get involved in anything and yet with the characters we couldn't get them to sit down and stop hugging them! Amazing how Muppets can help kids who don't communicate. This was an everlasting memory for our family and friends.

Thanks again, you all are so lovely.

Sincerely
Erica's Mother