Hello! I'm a new poster to the board and thought I'd start a thread to document my daughter's pre trip planning. She will be going on a Make A Wish and how excited are we?
Background:
Mikaela is 8 years old (9 in November). She was born with a brain tumor that was sugically removed when she was just 3 weeks old. Luckily the 'spot' was found on my prenatal ultrasound so we had been watching it the entire 2nd half of my pregnancy. The tumor was benign and she recovered well. When she was about 4 1/2 months old, I got a call from daycare where they told me she had had a seizure. They increased the seizure medicine they put her on after surgery but it didn't help. The seizures continued. She went through what seems like every anti epileptic drug on the market -- some more than once. They would all work for a time but then they would suddenly stop. VERY frustrating. Just after she turned 4, she had a partial hemispherectomy to remove the parts of her brain that were in constant seizure activity. While the surgery didn't do as we had hoped in termed of seizure control, it did change our lives. Because the constant seizure activity was gone, her little personality came shining through. She is starting to walk unassisted and she is just a joy.
She is very developmentally delayed and remains non verbal. While she doesn't understand the whole wish trip concept I think she is going to have a BALL on the trip. She loves Tigger and Pooh and is beginning to like Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.
Sometimes I wonder if she 'deserves' the trip because she isn't so excited to meet Mickey or one of the Princesses. I read some of the other pre trip threads for wish kids and the children are just beside themselves in excitement. But then again, because she is different doesn't mean she doesn't deserve. She's getting to a point in her development where she is so much more aware and I really think she will soak in all the special attention.
I am a single mom so we will be taking one of the nurses at Mikaela's special needs daycare. She also watches Mik so mommy can go have girl time with her friends. She has done so much for us that I think she deserves to go with us!
We just met with our Wish volunteers for the first time last night. I officially told them Mikaela would like to wish to go to Disney. We requested to go in October so it won't be so hot -- neither of us handle the heat well
So hopefully we get our official dates soon and we'll be so excited! I have requested to have a character meal with Pooh and to have some special seating at the Playhouse Disney Live show.
Thank you all for reading and I look forward to updating with any other details as we get them. I know that October seems so far away, but I'm sure it'll get here before we know it!!
Background:
Mikaela is 8 years old (9 in November). She was born with a brain tumor that was sugically removed when she was just 3 weeks old. Luckily the 'spot' was found on my prenatal ultrasound so we had been watching it the entire 2nd half of my pregnancy. The tumor was benign and she recovered well. When she was about 4 1/2 months old, I got a call from daycare where they told me she had had a seizure. They increased the seizure medicine they put her on after surgery but it didn't help. The seizures continued. She went through what seems like every anti epileptic drug on the market -- some more than once. They would all work for a time but then they would suddenly stop. VERY frustrating. Just after she turned 4, she had a partial hemispherectomy to remove the parts of her brain that were in constant seizure activity. While the surgery didn't do as we had hoped in termed of seizure control, it did change our lives. Because the constant seizure activity was gone, her little personality came shining through. She is starting to walk unassisted and she is just a joy.
She is very developmentally delayed and remains non verbal. While she doesn't understand the whole wish trip concept I think she is going to have a BALL on the trip. She loves Tigger and Pooh and is beginning to like Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.
Sometimes I wonder if she 'deserves' the trip because she isn't so excited to meet Mickey or one of the Princesses. I read some of the other pre trip threads for wish kids and the children are just beside themselves in excitement. But then again, because she is different doesn't mean she doesn't deserve. She's getting to a point in her development where she is so much more aware and I really think she will soak in all the special attention.
I am a single mom so we will be taking one of the nurses at Mikaela's special needs daycare. She also watches Mik so mommy can go have girl time with her friends. She has done so much for us that I think she deserves to go with us!
We just met with our Wish volunteers for the first time last night. I officially told them Mikaela would like to wish to go to Disney. We requested to go in October so it won't be so hot -- neither of us handle the heat well
So hopefully we get our official dates soon and we'll be so excited! I have requested to have a character meal with Pooh and to have some special seating at the Playhouse Disney Live show.Thank you all for reading and I look forward to updating with any other details as we get them. I know that October seems so far away, but I'm sure it'll get here before we know it!!
to the DISboards!
We are waiting for our dates also. We have requested September or October. We thought the heat would be easier those months also but we are having to wait until my son has completed his chemo. As you have already read this is an exciting place to be. Everyone is so nice and makes you feel so welcomed!!!
