The Lasting Magic of Disney for Lia

“Lia was really something special. She was this perfect combination of humor and wit that just helped keep our whole family young.”

As Lia’s older sister Shae reminisced on her life, magical memories flooded her mind. But being an older sister to sibling with a critical illness also comes with many hardships.

Diagnosed with a degenerative nervous system disorder at 3-years-old, Lia knew struggles that most did not. Her disorder caused severe developmental and physical delays that made even the simplest tasks difficult. Frequent seizures interrupted play time. Difficulty eating made a feeding tube a necessity. A wheelchair was her main mode of transportation.

When Lia was diagnosed, doctors gave her 4-5 years to live. As there are no cures, treatments rely on symptoms to tell doctors how to best care for a patient. “It was scary for a 6-year-old girl to think about losing her baby sister…that’s a hard thing for a child to hear,” expressed Shae through teary eyes.

After her diagnosis and brain biopsy, Lia was referred to Make-A-Wish Central & South Texas. In 1986, she was the first wish kid in San Antonio to be referred.

“Lia’s wish was a transformative point in the lives of all of us in the family. After getting such devastating news about her prognosis, it gave us something to look forward to and something to be excited about,” explained Shae. When the time came to choose a wish, Lia knew exactly what she wanted. The Disney Channel has just started and Mousercise was on every morning in their household. Mickey Mouse and friends greeted Lia on screen every day during Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. “She was obsessed with it,” says mom, Becky.

With this in mind, Lia’s wish to go to Disney World was set in motion. Suddenly, a trip that seemed impossible for Lia’s parents to take her on became a reality. Lia and her two sisters were able to do things they never thought they would together. They rode rides, saw shows, watched parades, and met beloved characters that Lia had only ever seen on her television. “It was experiencing life as one family unit,” expressed Lia’s older sister Mollee.

But the magic did not stop when the plane touched back down in San Antonio. When Lia surpassed the year-mark that doctors had given her to live, her parents decided that they needed to celebrate. And what better way to celebrate beating the odds than to visit the most magical place on earth? Thus began an annual tradition of visiting the parks each year until Lia turned 21 when she could no longer physically go. “We could escape reality and go to this place that was magic,” commented Mollee.

Suddenly, the world opened up for Lia and her family. Things that once were thought to be unfeasible turned into opportunities to try new things. “Make-A-Wish was a lifeline to me. Once they granted us the wish and we went to Disney—watching Lia there I realized she could do anything,” shared Becky. After her wish, Lia gained a sense of confidence in herself and conquered the odds year after year with the help of her family and a world-famous mouse.

“Lia’s wish planted a seed of joy in our lives and really set the tone for how we lived. We celebrated, we cherished our time together, and we found joy where we could.”

Lia passed away on February 6, 2021, at the age of thirty-seven, thirty-three years longer than doctors expected. Her life remains an inspiration to many.