Jilly's Make-A-Wish Trip - A princess transformation!
- Thread starter jojuvanlaanen
- Start date
Hi, Happy for you all! I am excited to hear about your process and trip. Hopefully, I will learn several things from you. We got our dates for our daughter's wish trip last week. We will be going in April. Katie has Kleefstra Syndrome, multiple GI issues, seizures, and developmental delay. We are a family of nine. Any tips or suggestions you have will be appreciated. Hope you don't mind be following along.
jojuvanlaanen
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2008
- Messages
- 117
Hi Gwynne and Jermelmil, thanks for following along!! My daughter has a seizure disorder as well, along with other neurological conditions. We are a familly of 7, so I know all about big families! 
April is a long wait for your trip! I hope you can pass time by reading the boards, and learning as much as you can about these wish trips. Feel free to ask questions!
April is a long wait for your trip! I hope you can pass time by reading the boards, and learning as much as you can about these wish trips. Feel free to ask questions!
jojuvanlaanen
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2008
- Messages
- 117
It's OCTOBER! Which means we will be going to GKTW THIS month! How exciting to say that!! We (me) have been planning like crazy. I made a daily schedule, color coded by the 1/2 hour (hey, it gives me great joy to create fun spreadsheets! 
). I also made a '101 things to do' list...so far I have 33 things.
We've also participated in a couple Make A Wish events in our area. The first was "Walk for Wishes" in Madison WI.
Before it began we got to hear from a couple wish families in the area. One of which I had connected with after finding her blog. We emailed back and forth a few times so it was really cool to meet her in person! There was also a teen boy with cancer who sang the National Anthem. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever heard. Before we got started we had the option to do a 5k or a 2 mile walk. We did the 2 mile walk. Zoey started out in the stroller but about 1/4 of the way through Jilly got tired and ending up sitting in the stroller the rest of the way. So Zoey got to enjoy some shoulder rides, and also try out her new toddler harness.
I've never used these with any of my other kids, and to be honest I was never a fan of them. But then I had Zoey. Ohhhh sweet, sweet Zoey. Sweet, sweet Zoey who loves to run and explore and go her own way. With her little pink bear backpack on I can be sure she is safe and close to me while she feels a little bit more independent. Win Win! After the walk we let the kids play on the bouncy houses and get a few snacks. All in all it was a great day and we will for sure be participating again next year!
Last week we had the absolute honor to be invited to the 2nd annual Kaidens Wish Tailgate. Kaiden is a little boy who had his wish granted a few years ago and loved his wish so much that he wanted to help grant more wishes for other kids. This year the Make A Wish Foundation wanted Jilly to be the guest of honor at the event! Honestly, we felt like VIP's pulling into the parking lot. Once we told them our name and they knew who we were we were ushered right in and escorted to where we needed to go. The first thing I saw when walking in was THIS on the projector screen!
*TEARS!* Jilly was so excited to see herself up on the screen! I don't think she really understands all that's going on with this Make A Wish trip, and how much of a big deal it is. They also had a photo of her and some cartoon princesses on the picture with her, and when she saw it she said "ohh princesses! Will I get to meet them? Can I have dinner with them? Can we talk and sing??" It was like being able to do these things was all new to her...again! To see that joy in a little girls face when she discovers she will meet the REAL Cinderella, or Tangled....there's nothing like it!
Since this was a tailgate, and we are in Wisconsin after all....of course our friend Bucky Badger was there to celebrate! He spent a lot of time with Jilly, dancing and playing with her. It was a lot of fun!
We were able to feast on all you can eat hot dogs, brats, chips, potato salad, veggies and cookies.
They also had music and yard games. Once the actual program started we got to hear from the hosts of the event, Hausman and Johnson Insurance, the director of Make A Wish, Kaiden's dad.... and me. Since Jilly was the special guest wish kid, they wanted me to say a few things about Jilly. I don't usually talk about all that's happened with Jilly much. I don't like to remember it because it's hard to admit to myself that we almost lost her. But I think I did fairly well, and didn't cry! The purpose of the event is to help raise money to grant more wishes. Before I spoke we had raised 7 wishes ($42,000). Later in the evening they announced that they had raised enough money to grant 8 wishes, $48,000!
The Make A Wish director said hearing Jilly's story and people getting to meet her is what helps bring in donations. To see the kids and hear their stories really makes it real to people. It was nice to know that Jilly had a purpose that day, and in her own way, she was helping to grant wishes, too!
). I also made a '101 things to do' list...so far I have 33 things. We've also participated in a couple Make A Wish events in our area. The first was "Walk for Wishes" in Madison WI.
Before it began we got to hear from a couple wish families in the area. One of which I had connected with after finding her blog. We emailed back and forth a few times so it was really cool to meet her in person! There was also a teen boy with cancer who sang the National Anthem. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever heard. Before we got started we had the option to do a 5k or a 2 mile walk. We did the 2 mile walk. Zoey started out in the stroller but about 1/4 of the way through Jilly got tired and ending up sitting in the stroller the rest of the way. So Zoey got to enjoy some shoulder rides, and also try out her new toddler harness.
I've never used these with any of my other kids, and to be honest I was never a fan of them. But then I had Zoey. Ohhhh sweet, sweet Zoey. Sweet, sweet Zoey who loves to run and explore and go her own way. With her little pink bear backpack on I can be sure she is safe and close to me while she feels a little bit more independent. Win Win! After the walk we let the kids play on the bouncy houses and get a few snacks. All in all it was a great day and we will for sure be participating again next year! Last week we had the absolute honor to be invited to the 2nd annual Kaidens Wish Tailgate. Kaiden is a little boy who had his wish granted a few years ago and loved his wish so much that he wanted to help grant more wishes for other kids. This year the Make A Wish Foundation wanted Jilly to be the guest of honor at the event! Honestly, we felt like VIP's pulling into the parking lot. Once we told them our name and they knew who we were we were ushered right in and escorted to where we needed to go. The first thing I saw when walking in was THIS on the projector screen!
*TEARS!* Jilly was so excited to see herself up on the screen! I don't think she really understands all that's going on with this Make A Wish trip, and how much of a big deal it is. They also had a photo of her and some cartoon princesses on the picture with her, and when she saw it she said "ohh princesses! Will I get to meet them? Can I have dinner with them? Can we talk and sing??" It was like being able to do these things was all new to her...again! To see that joy in a little girls face when she discovers she will meet the REAL Cinderella, or Tangled....there's nothing like it!
Since this was a tailgate, and we are in Wisconsin after all....of course our friend Bucky Badger was there to celebrate! He spent a lot of time with Jilly, dancing and playing with her. It was a lot of fun!
We were able to feast on all you can eat hot dogs, brats, chips, potato salad, veggies and cookies.
They also had music and yard games. Once the actual program started we got to hear from the hosts of the event, Hausman and Johnson Insurance, the director of Make A Wish, Kaiden's dad.... and me. Since Jilly was the special guest wish kid, they wanted me to say a few things about Jilly. I don't usually talk about all that's happened with Jilly much. I don't like to remember it because it's hard to admit to myself that we almost lost her. But I think I did fairly well, and didn't cry! The purpose of the event is to help raise money to grant more wishes. Before I spoke we had raised 7 wishes ($42,000). Later in the evening they announced that they had raised enough money to grant 8 wishes, $48,000!
The Make A Wish director said hearing Jilly's story and people getting to meet her is what helps bring in donations. To see the kids and hear their stories really makes it real to people. It was nice to know that Jilly had a purpose that day, and in her own way, she was helping to grant wishes, too!
jojuvanlaanen
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2008
- Messages
- 117
As of today, we have 17 more days....Our next big event is Jilly's send off party on the 17th, and we leave on the 20th. The send off party is a surprise for her....and believe me, it's a BIG surprise! Something so exciting, so incredible is going to happen....I'm looking forward to this as much as the actual trip! So I'll leave this here and write about her send off party after it's happened. Stay tuned!!! 
The Walk for Wishes, Tailgate and Program must have been amazing. What a special day!
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