Disney, where dreams come true

Header image for Interrobang article CREDIT: COURTESY OF SUNSHINE FOUNDATION
Sunshine Foundation of Canada sent 84 London-area kids with disabilities to Disney World in Florida for a day on November 19. It is their 55th such trip in 26 years.

Warning: This story will warm the cockles of the coldest heart and is the most aww-inducing story the reporter has ever written.

November 19 marked as a special day for 84 London-area kids who were whisked off to Walt Disney World for the day, thanks to Sunshine Foundation's DreamLift program.

“We are in the business of raising money for two programs for kids with severe physical disabilities,” said national executive director Nancy Sutherland. “One program is called DreamLift and the other is [for] an individual dream.”

“A lot of times in their lives, [it] isn't really led by them, it's kind of reactive to the needs of their conditions,” said Sutherland. “So we like to have a day where they can just be a kid and they can be the boss.”

This past DreamLift was Sunshine's 55th to Disney, so to Sutherland, Disney is a no-brainer.

“Kids are already in tune to the magic of Disney and they know the characters,” she said. “There's great wheelchair accessibility. The staff are very well trained to deal with the special needs of our kids.”

Sutherland said the staff interact with the kids and make them feel great; that they don't feel awkward or different.

“I've had kids say things like, ‘Mickey Mouse didn't even notice my wheelchair.'”

Twelve-year-old Noah Delaney was one of the lucky 84 who was chosen for the DreamLift, and mom Catherine was glad he had the chance to go.

“He got to go to Florida without his parents, so I think it helped him grow up a little bit,” she said. “It was a bit scary to know he could go away without us, but it's such an awesome opportunity for him to do something he doesn't normally do.”

The Delaneys have had a longstanding relationship with Sunshine. In fact, the family was given a trip to Noah's destination of choice, courtesy of the Foundation.

He chose Florida.

“I honestly don't think we would have taken a trip like that where it was just relaxation and not visiting family,” said Catherine. “We went to Disney for a couple days, but his dream was to go to Daytona [Beach] because he's a big NASCAR fan.”

“We probably wouldn't have done that if he didn't pick it. We had a really good time.”

For Catherine, DreamLift was an important experience for Noah to have.

“It's just really nice for him to know he doesn't need us all the time,” Catherine said. “It's interesting that even since [going to] camp this summer, his physiotherapist has noticed how much more independent he's become.”

And Noah couldn't agree more.

“It was so awesome to go without my parents,” he said.

Sutherland has gone on every trip, and said the experience (while gratifying) is different each time. This time, she was matched with a group of seven-year-old girls who had a chance to meet Tinker Bell.

“Tinker Bell was telling them that they were very brave and it was very overwhelming to see these little girls who don't feel well all of the time, and that was all gone from their faces,” she said. “They were just glowing and grinning and being little seven-year-old girls meeting Tinker Bell. That just really got me.”

And it's moments like these that makes Sutherland's job worthwhile.

“That's our job, to have them know that they're still a kid and that they should be looking forward to some things, even though they might be having painful surgeries and things like that,” Sutherland said. “We're there to break down any of those barriers to getting them to have their dream fulfilled.”

To learn more about the Sunshine Foundation, visit sunshine. ca, or get connected by following their Twitter handle @SunshineFound and liking them at facebook.com/SunshineFound.