wish trip possibility?

[taximomfor4]

Hey all,
I just found out that my good friend, after spending a day with my 7yo dd, recommended her for a wish trip through Sunshine (something or other). I just looked at their website, and am a little confused still.

DD has no "diagnosis" -- she has multiple problems and challenges, and many specialists that she sees. But the geneticist has been unable to put it all together, and fit it neatly into a label. I don't know if she will be excluded automatically, if her "diagnosis" is not something on some secret master list.

Other concern, we took the kids to WDW last year before I started nursing school and before teacher contract negotiations went awry for dh's district. We knew it was going to get financially ugly, and decided to play while we could, instead of preparing better. I guess I am wondering, without knowing right off the bat what Rissa's wish WOULD be, if she would be excluded from a WDW trip since she has already been there. That said, I must make clear that there is NO way we could do it again, and we had to really avoid sit-down meals due to prices for the 6 of us.

If anyone has any idea how this all works, I would appreciate it wholeheartedly. We get so exhausted, trying to find something for Rissa. She never qualifies for special camps, etc because of her lack of magic-word diagnosis.

Beth

 

[michelle9343]

I would contact Make-A-Wish. They really leave it up to the childs Doctor about approval. Is Rissa able to tell you her wants? They will ask her what she would like for a wish. My DD recieved a MAW trip last year and the process was very simple. I went to there web site filled out some info and brought a form to her Dr. Within a few weeks she was approved. If approved her wish would not be limited because of past trips. Good luck . I have a few freinds who have special needs childern who have not diagonsis it makes it really hard. We are in a similar boat because my DD has an extremely rare disorder( less then 50 people in US) she does not qualifiy for a lot of things .Sending you a and some

 

[taximomfor4]

I think my friend picked the sunshine one because it includes kids with not just chronic or life-threatening illnesses, but also children with mobility problems or something. Which dr do I take the forms to, when they come? She has many specialists (but we don't currently have any appointments any time soon), or her regular ped who doesn't deal with any of this, but should have copies of the specialists' stuff.

She is perfectly verbal, and if you don't see her around kids her own age, you usually cannot tell that she has any problems at all the majority of the time.

Thanks for the reply. Rissa would be soooo excited to be able to wish for something. Her problems get her so much negative attention at school and everything, and some terribly uncomfortable tests pretty regularly. It would be great if it got her some positivity for once.


Beth

 

[michelle9343]

I would take it to her regular ped. He should be able to fill it out for her.

 

[eternaldisneyfan]

The organization is Sunshine Foundation. Take her form to the doctor that takes care of her most limiting/complex condition. It would probably be best to get all the specialists to give input. She can wish for anything. My wish (through Make-A-Wish) was for Disney World and I had been before. Good luck!

Christamae

 

[Schmeck]

Make-A-Wish isn't just for terminally ill children? I thought it was, has it changed? My cousin's duaghter is not terminally ill, but is disabled, with chronic health issues - would she be a candidate? Or would the Sunshine Fund be a better match?

 

[SueOKW]

My DS got a M-A-W trip because he has a life-threatening condition - not terminal.

They changed it a while ago, because people were a little reluctant to face the fact that the child's condition was terminal, and thus were not asking for wishes till too late, if at all.

 

[SueM in MN]

My DS got a M-A-W trip because he has a life-threatening condition - not terminal.

They changed it a while ago, because people were a little reluctant to face the fact that the child's condition was terminal, and thus were not asking for wishes till too late, if at all.

exactly.
There were a lot of people who were reluctant to think a condition might be terminal (or people who thought it needed to be terminal soon).

There are some wish granting places that do handle other than life-threatening conditions, so if the OP's child's condition is not life threatening, there may be some places she would qualify for if not for MAW. The Sunshine Foundation appears to handle more than life threatening conditions from what it says on their website.

 

[Schmeck]

I'm glad MAW was able to make the criteria more flexible. It makes sense, and shows that there is some sensitivity and sensibility in the world! I'm going to have my cousin check out the Sunshine Fund, thanks for the link and info!