I finally have the time to write everyone. I apologize for not being able to sooner. 4 kids and a husband who does not get around well keeps me hopping! Our whole family sincerely thanks EACH AND EVERY ONE of you out there, known and unknown, who have held us in their hearts and minds and worked and prayed for a solution.
What a RELIEVED (understatement), and still stunned, mother I am now! It is truly BEYOND words to figure out how to say thank you and fully represent the appreciation we have in our hearts for this incredibly generous and unexpected showing of true compassion and caring that was extended to us ever so GRACIOUSLY.
THE warm-hearted "Mouse" upstairs at
DCL contacted us, having heard about our predicament, and said he thought he might be able to help our family situation by making it possible for Grace to come along too and thought it would be more ideal for her (and less worrisome) to have us administer her shots as we have always done up to this point. He said he wouldn't know yet, as it would take some time to go through the ship room by room and see what, if anything, could be done with the ship being a full sailing. He told us to rest assured, he had one of his best men...er "mice" who would be working on it tonight...and by morning he should have an answer as to whether this was possible or if other options needed to be explored. I have to say, I have never talked to a kinder, more down to earth mouse. He did NOT want credit, he simply wanted to help and see if there was anything in his power DCL could do to help our situation. (I did ask, however, if I may share their kindness publicly, before I wrote this.)
A kind and EXTRAORDINARILY dedicated staff worked together and pulled off the impossible, (NO small feat on a full ship!) finding a way we could all stay together and take our 3 1/2 year old WITH us, so we could administer her shots ourselves. Equally amazing was that we were upgraded and provided with a handicap accessible room for my husband (extremely helpful as it has multiple low safety rails, a lower sink, shower bench, room to maneuver without risking hurting his extended leg.) THEN, the "Mouse upstairs" connected us to a wonderful lady who had intuitive foresight and suggested we might need a refrigerator to be put in the room to keep our daughter's vials of meds. at an even temp., a sharps box so we wouldn't have to carry one with us, extra pillows, Fed-Ex documents sent ASAP to include Grace and please, if there is anything else we can do to be helpful, just say the word. Here's my number, just let me know." I just listened on the other end of the phone, STUNNED, my ear straining to detect the slightest hint of a relatives voice who might be behind this call and about to say "ha! ...gotcha, didn't I?!".
(It is a long standing tradition in our family)
Wow, let me tell you, phone calls like the ones of that day, from the kindness of strangers, create incredibly comforting memories that carry you through the tougher days. It was like angels were visited on us. All the worry, the anxiety, the burden of what to do, who should go, who should not go, how will the older girls would take it if I don't go, how would my husband manage, would my older girls do well with a friend of mine along to help instead, would this cause resentment among the girls, etc...was GONE! Suddenly we were a family going on a sorely (another huge understatement) needed VACATION together. Phew!
We let our oldest two girls tell little Gracie. Together they told her that Mickey and Minnie had Tinkerbell (her favorite
) phone mommy and daddy and tell them that they specially wanted Gracie to come with us on the Disney trip next week. We watched her face turn from calm to WONDER and WIDE-EYED AWE, as understanding swept across her face. Frozen in place, she whispered so quietly "Tink-a-bell...???... invited...... (high ascending scream) MEEEEEEEEEEEE???!!!!!!!!!!" and flew into 7 year old Lily's arm's grinning so widely from ear to ear her eyes almost disappeared.
Lily, who had squatted down to eye-level to tell her in a more personal fashion, got knocked in the head so hard from the impact of Gracie exuberantly flying at her to hug her, that she landed flat backwards on the floor, legs splayed out, face wincing from the sudden, hard head banging. Lily lay there pinned, holding her face, trying to protect herself from further hysterical toddler injury. Gracie, still TOTALLY caught up in the excitement and oblivious to Lily's pain, jumped up and down on Lily's stomach, her legs squeezing Lily's sides and her arms tightly wrapped around Lily's neck, jerking Lily's poor head off the floor UP and DOWN with every bounce of her bottom on Lily's stomach.
All the while she is yelling in Lily's face, "Lily!!! Anna!!! I goin' to see TINK-A-BELL!!!!!!!!!! and Mickey and Minnie and TINK-A-BELL!!!!!!!!!!!!" It was hysterical!
Disney and it's wonderful staff and crew have certainly made our little Gracie believe in the true *MAGIC* of Disney and that "Tink-a-bell" really DOES exist and have true *MAGICAL* pixie dust that she can use to make wonderful, HAPPY things come true. Our entire family holds you all in the highest respect for the incredibly GENUINE, CARING, and GRACIOUS help you extended our family out of the KINDNESS of your hearts and the SIMPLE desire to help and affect a difference where you saw you could. GOD BLESS YOU, ALL!
Never, ever underestimate the power of prayer and faith. TOGETHER everyone here helped make this happen. What an AWESOME group to be a part of!
Thank you for including us in your "family".
Most sincerely,
Liz and family
