Five-year-old Tyson is what you would call a thrill seeker.  So for his wish, Tyson wanted to go to the Walt Disney World Resort^® to go on all of the incredible rides the parks have to offer. For one week he was able to enjoy the roller coasters and forget about the day-to-day battle he faces.

“We wanted to reach out and thank you for granting our son Tyson’s wish to go to Disney World.  Tyson is 5 years old and is currently battling Lymphoblastic Non Hodgkin Lymphoma.  He is in his second year of treatment and has come a very long way.  He has fought so bravely and strongly.  We are tremendously thankful that he was able to have his wish come true.  He truly deserves it.  Last year at the same time that he went to Disney, he was bald and barely recognizable from his steroid medication.  He was down in the dumps and unhappy about his appearance and embarrassed about being bald.  It’s amazing how much 5-year-olds care about their own appearance.  He went through a period of time where he was sick all of the time, with sore legs and so weak that he couldn’t play or walk up two steps.  He made it through all that to regain his strength, grow his hair back, loss his steroid weight and love to play again.

He has never been to Disney World and he absolutely loves rides.  Tyson couldn’t wait to meet his favorite characters, go on all the roller coasters that he tall enough to go on, swim in the hotel pool, eat a lot of ice cream and take an airplane to Florida.  Everything about Tyson’s wish trip was phenomenal!  Give Kids the World Village was a truly magical place, where everyone went out of their way to make our family feel welcome and most importantly, they made Tyson feel like a king.

Tyson’s face was priceless while he was on Expedition Everest, a fast speed roller coaster that he went on 3 times in a row.  He enjoyed almost every ride at every park, as he is a real thrill seeker!  Tyson even introduced the Indiana Jones show for the audience and was also able to go back stage to meet his favorite Star Wars characters.  Darth Vader gave him his autographed “light saber” which is very special to him and now on display in his room.

Going to Disney World meant the world to him.  It meant the world to us to see him be in disbelief and have more fun than he has ever had.  Thank you Make-A-Wish for bringing excitement, joy and laughter to Tyson.  The endless smile that he had on his face that week was enough to melt a person’s heart.  The memories of his trip to Disney World will be with us forever!  It is because of your generous donations and fundraising efforts that Tyson smiled for an entire week straight.  We can never thank you enough!”