by Bree

 

My name is Bree.

 

There are some things I want people to know about me. The first is that I am more than my diagnoses. I live with Myotonic Dystrophy, Autism, ARFID, and dysphagia. Each of them affects my life in different ways, and sometimes they make things much harder than people realize.

 

But they aren't everything that I am. I am a daughter, a friend. I am a person with feelings, hopes, dreams, and a heart full of things I want to experience. And I am a Make-A-Wish recipient.

 

My original wish was something I had dreamed about for a long time: I wanted to go to Disney World. I imagined what it would be like to see it for myself, experience the magic, and make memories that I would carry with me forever. But there was something I needed to accomplish before I could safely take that trip. Because of the difficulties I have with eating and swallowing, I had a weight goal I needed to reach. I tried. But instead of gaining the weight I needed, I lost weight. That meant my Disney World trip couldn't happen.

 

That was hard. When you have dreamed about something for so long, it hurts when your body won't cooperate with the dream. And I want people to understand that it wasn't because I didn't try. It wasn't because I didn't want my wish badly enough. Sometimes our bodies have challenges that are outside of our control. For me, ARFID and dysphagia can make eating and gaining weight much more difficult than people might understand. Food isn't always simple for me. Swallowing isn't always simple. And gaining weight isn't always something I can simply decide to do.

 

So when my Disney trip couldn't happen, I had to let go of a dream I had held onto for a long time. But Make-A-Wish didn't let my story end there. They gave me another wish. And that wish became something I will always remember. I got to go shopping in a limousine for the first time in my life. But something happened during my wish that I didn't expect. I didn't just get to experience new places. I got to meet new people. People who started out as strangers became part of one of the most special days of my life.

 

I met my Make-A-Wish host Nancy, who helped make my day feel special from the very beginning.

 

I met my limousine driver, who gave me my very first limousine ride.

 

I met the wonderful people at Scheels, who welcomed me and helped make my shopping experience so much fun.

 

I met the wonderful people at Macy's, who were part of my special day too. 

 

And I met so many other people who gave their time, kindness, smiles, and encouragement to help make my wish possible. Some of these people may not realize how much those moments meant to me. But I do. I will remember them. Because sometimes the most special part of a wish isn't something you can put in a shopping bag. Sometimes it is a person. A smile. A conversation. Someone taking the time to make you feel important. 

 

Someone you had never met before treating you like you mattered. And I met a lot of people who made me feel exactly that way. I also had two very special things I wanted to find. The first was a Barbie Dream House. I had my heart set on finding one, and I thought I would be able to find it at Macy's. When we first went into the toy section, though, it wasn't there. I looked. We looked again. But I couldn't find my Barbie Dream House. So I decided to move on to the second thing I wanted. I wanted a beautiful gown for my make-believe wedding with Morgan Wallen. 

 

And then something wonderful happened. 

 

I found the perfect gown. It was beautiful, and for a little while, I got to imagine my own fairy-tale moment. I got to dream. I got to play make-believe. I got to enjoy being a girl with a big imagination and a beautiful dream. But my shopping adventure wasn't over yet. We went back to the toy section. And somehow... there it was. My Barbie Dream House. The thing I had been looking for was there after all. I had thought I wasn't going to find it. And then, when I least expected it, I did. I got my Barbie Dream House. I found the perfect gown. I rode in a limousine for the first time. I met new friends. And I got to have dinner with my family. 

 

It wasn't Disney World. But it became something special in its own way. It became a day filled with little pieces of magic. And some of that magic came from things I could hold. But some of it came from people. People who helped me. People who smiled at me. People who welcomed me. People who made me feel special. People who I had never met before but who became part of a memory I will always carry. 

 

That is something I will never forget. Myotonic Dystrophy has taught me that my body may have limitations. Autism has taught me that I experience the world differently. ARFID has made eating and gaining weight difficult. Dysphagia has made swallowing something I have to think about when many people don't. These are real parts of my life. But I don't want people to look at me and only see those things. I want people to see Bree. I want people to see the girl who dreams. The girl who laughs. The girl who loves her family. The girl who gets excited about new experiences. The girl who has a big imagination. The girl who wants to be understood. The girl who keeps going even when things don't turn out the way she hoped.

 

I want people to learn about Myotonic Dystrophy.

 

I want people to understand that Autism doesn't look the same in every person.

 

I want people to know that ARFID is more than simply being a picky eater. And I want people to understand that dysphagia can make something as basic as eating and drinking a real challenge. 

 

But most of all, I want people to remember something: There is a person behind every diagnosis. There is a heart. There are dreams. There are hopes. There is a family. There is a life. There is a story.

 

And there is so much more to me than what is written in my medical records. My mom has been beside me through all of this. She has watched me struggle. She has helped me through difficult days. She has celebrated my victories, even the ones that might seem small to someone else. And she has reminded me that I am not my diagnoses. I am her daughter. I am Bree.

 

And because of Make-A-Wish, I got to have a day where I could simply enjoy being me. 

 

I got to climb into a limousine for the first time. I got to go shopping. I got to find a beautiful gown for a make-believe dream. I got my Barbie Dream House. I got to have dinner with my family. I got to meet new friends. I got to experience kindness from people I had never met before. I got to laugh. I got to make memories. I got to experience things I had never experienced before. And I got to feel special. That matters. Because when you live with medical challenges, there can be so much focus on what you need to do, what you need to watch, what you need to overcome, and what your body needs from you. A wish gives you a chance to focus on something different. Something joyful. Something you chose. Something that reminds you that you are more than the challenges you face. My Disney dream didn't happen. But my wish still became a beautiful memory. And I am grateful for that. I am grateful for the people who believed that I still deserved a wish. I am grateful for my Make-A-Wish host. I am grateful for my limousine driver. I am grateful for everyone at Scheels and Macy's who helped make my day special. I am grateful for every person who gave their time, kindness, or support to make my wish possible. And I am grateful for my family, who was there to share it all with me. Some people helped make my wish happen.

 

But they also gave me something I didn't know I needed: New friends and memories I will carry with me. So if there is one thing I hope people take away from my story, it is this: Please see the person before the diagnosis. Please be patient with people who experience the world differently. Please don't assume you know what someone is going through simply because you can't see their struggles. And please remember that people with disabilities still have dreams. Sometimes those dreams have to change. Sometimes the path to them isn't what we expected. But dreams still matter. And sometimes, when one dream changes, another beautiful one finds its way to you.