Easton's wish to go to Disney World

Our son Easton was diagnosed with an optic pathway glioma, a brain tumor, along with failure to thrive, obstructive hydrocephalus, and Neurofibromatosis Type 1 in June 2018—just two weeks after celebrating his second birthday. We knew something was wrong. He was losing weight, sleeping constantly, no longer eating, and looking worse by the day. But living in a rural part of Wisconsin, we had limited access to pediatric specialists, and getting answers took time. When the diagnosis finally came, it brought with it an entirely new world of pediatric genetics, oncology, and uncertainty.

Soon after, our family spent three and a half weeks inpatient at Children’s in Milwaukee while his team worked tirelessly to stabilize Easton’s health. We were nearly three and a half hours from home, with little more than the clothes on our backs. During that overwhelming time, our social worker, Sheila Dodds, was an incredible support. She helped us navigate appointments, care teams, and resources, including Easton’s Make-A-Wish experience.

Easton was three years old when his wish was granted, and our family chose to visit Disney and Give Kids the World Village in Kissimmee, Florida. Make-A-Wish gave us something we never could have given ourselves: time together away from hospital rooms, IV pumps, tears, and the constant noise of medical care. At Give Kids The World, we were surrounded by joy, peace, and hope after such a long and difficult journey. We met families from every walk of life who understood what it meant to have a child facing serious illness, and we were humbled by the kindness of the volunteers and other families we met there.

One of our favorite memories is still Easton’s collection of bubble wands. He bought them at every park, and by the end of the trip we had so many that we had to find a Walmart and buy another suitcase just to get them all home. We laughed so much together on that trip, and we also cried beautiful, happy tears as we watched the fireworks over Magic Kingdom. Those are memories we will carry forever.

When you go through your child’s life-changing diagnosis, you quickly learn that it’s the little moments in life that matter most. Make-A-Wish gives families like ours the gift of quality time—the chance to set aside fear and stress, create lasting memories, and laugh together again. When you donate to Make-A-Wish, you help give other families that same irreplaceable gift.