“Our son Luke was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia last November and began chemotherapy treatments immediately. He endured the toughest six months of his life. He had to travel to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City an average of three times per week.  Out of fear of infection, Luke was isolated at home and not allowed to go out in public or even have friends over during this time.

When it came time to make his wish, Luke was eager to get out into the world and experience a place that he had seen on commercials as “the happiest place on earth”…Disney World.

The wish that Luke was granted was literally a once in a lifetime trip that will never be duplicated or forgotten. Luke and his brother CJ were eager to see everything and go on every ride. And that’s exactly what we did! Thanks to the VIP passes we were given, we were able to cut every line, meet every character, and sit in the front row of every show.

Seeing the smiles on our children’s faces for the week we spent at Disney World really made us all forget about our struggles and troubles back home. It made Luke forget that he had cancer and not even think about the two years of chemotherapy he has ahead of him. For the first time in the past year, Luke and CJ were carefree and having the time of their lives. For this, we are forever grateful and please know that the words here only begin to demonstrate the impact of the wish.

We cannot fully explain how grateful we are to Make-A-Wish, the donors, and the volunteers who together make wishes like Luke’s possible. You are truly making a difference in children’s lives, putting smiles on their little faces, and creating memories that will last a lifetime…We have the pictures to prove it!”